PIPEDREAMS
by parisindy
Summary: Harper and a bag full of money and a great big secret **COMPLETE**
1. chapter 1

TITLE: Pipe Dreams Revisited.  
  
AUTHOR: parisindy  
  
RATING: don't know yet…  
  
DISCLAIMER: No money was received or exchanged. I do not own Andromeda or any of its Characters. This is purely for fun.  
  
ARCHIVE: only Zion's Starfish can archive it and she has to wait till it's beta read and till I finish it (  
  
SUMMARY: Harper has a bag of money that's some how related to his past (in response to zion's starfish's challenge… check out her site it's great!)  
  
Pipe Dreams Revisited.  
  
Harper peered around the corner, looking both ways before entering the hallway. No one was coming. Keeping his body close to the bulkhead he quietly made his way down the corridor. It was the wee hours of the morning and everyone should be asleep but he wasn't taking any chances.  
  
He reached a vent half way down the hall and once again looked both ways before he pulled out a screwdriver, He inserted it in to the small metal top and began to twist.  
  
"Harper what are you doing?"  
  
He jumped dropping the screwdriver and yelped in surprise. He took a deep calming breath before he answered.  
  
"Hey Rom Doll what are you doing up?"  
  
"I was about to ask you that."  
  
"I heard a rattling noise it was keeping me up."  
  
"Harper your quarters is two levels down how could you here anything?"  
  
"I heard it earlier and I couldn't get it out of my head ok?" he yawned exaggeratedly "look I want to fix it and get back to bed OK …so I can I have moment here?"  
  
The hologrammed Rommie looked at him for a second. "Hmmmm."  
  
"Don't look so suspicious sheesh!" He opened the vent and pulled out some wiring then looked up at her expectantly. "You know Rommie you're getting almost as paranoid as me."  
  
With that she made a face at him and disappeared.  
  
"Finally." He whispered and laid his tools on the ground. He once again looked up and down the hall. No one was there. He leaned forward and reached up inside the vent as far as he could. His fingers snagged a piece of cloth and pulled. Slowly and as quietly as possible he pulled out a musty green bag.  
  
He looked in and sighed with relief. They were still there and man were they beautiful! He gazed down into the colourless bag that was filled with thousands of brightly colour credit chips. Millions in Vendran currency and no one could ever know.  
  
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TBC soon!  
  
Sorry it's short but it's quarter to 3 in the morning…. I think it will be a long one so consider your self warned more ASAP ( 


	2. chapter 2

Ok here's part two thanks guys for reviewing…your sweet, I feel very humble in the presence of such better writers then I … so any suggestions on how to make this better are greatly appreciated  
  
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They next morning Harper stood on command beside Dylan. He was supposed to be briefing the captain on repairs but he kept stopping to yawn.  
  
"Later night Mr. Harper?"  
  
"Um, yeah sort of."  
  
"Any special projects I should know about?"  
  
"Nothing that will warp time and space as we know it!" Harper tried to quip cheerfully but he yawned again helplessly. "I just need a Sparky and I'm good to go."  
  
Rommie's hologram popped in beside Dylan. "Maybe if you did repairs during the day and not the middle of the night you wouldn't need so much caffeine."  
  
Dylan arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Listen Rommie, I'm a creature of the night, I'm like a vampire the sun will kill me." Joked Harper trying to change the subject.  
  
Rommie gazed at his smiling face flatly. "Hardly," she turned to Dylan. "A Vampire is an ancient earth legend about dead humans that came back to life and lived of the blood of others. It's a gruesome myth."  
  
"I know I've heard of them." Agreed Dylan  
  
"And if my memory serves me correctly and it always does," continued Rommie "these creatures were often seen as alluring and very handsome."  
  
"You see just like me!" Harper threw his arm across his face like he was hiding behind a cape and skulked towards the command deck doors. Rommie rolled her eyes and Dylan smiled. Just then Beka entered the room. Harper flung his arms out like wings and nearly jumped on top of her shouting "I Vant to drink your blood!"  
  
Beka jumped in surprise and nearly decked him. "Harper you really are a freak you know that!" She shouted at Harper's back as he hurried down the hall laughing.  
  
He rounded two corners before he stopped and leaned against the bulkhead. His heart beat madly in his chest. 'Whew Rommie was getting too suspicious' he thought. He'd have to move the money, but when? Hey couldn't do anymore late night repairs to the same vent. He closed his eyes. He was tired of the secrets, he felt like he was betraying everyone by not telling, but it was too important. They must never know. He had always dreamed of getting of that hellhole earth, and he had, now this could blow everything, He yawned again. Man he was tired. A quick nap and maybe he would be able to pretend the money never existed. He continued down the hall towards his quarters.  
  
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10 years earlier  
  
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Harper's parents had been dead for 3 months now.  
  
He had found a new place to live, just a couple of steps away from Brendan's hovel. It was small but safe for now. He looked around his new abode.  
  
Really it was no bigger then a closet. Tiny, musty and he thought he heard rats. He sighed. He had hoped this move would make him feel better. He couldn't stay in the same place his parents had been murdered a moment longer. His head was trying to move on but his heart wouldn't follow.  
  
He piled a couple of old blankets in the corner and stuck a couple of old photos up on the tin metal walls above the blankets. Ah, there now he was unpacked. Nice and homey.  
  
Brendan stuck his head around the corner into the room.  
  
"Shay?"  
  
"Hey, Brendan come in."  
  
"This isn't so bad." Harper knew he was trying to cheer him up but Brendan didn't know the whole story.  
  
"Yeah," he agreed " A bit empty though."  
  
Brendan patted him on the shoulder "You can come stay at my place if you want. You know that."  
  
Brendan had asked him many times. Brendan also had girl friends and Harper wanted a place of his own.  
  
"No. It's cool really. Thanks though."  
  
Brendan nodded and backed out of the room but just as he was almost gone he popped his head back in. "Hey Shay, Liz and me are going to find something to eat, want to come?"  
  
"Nah, it's ok I ate yesterday."  
  
Brendan gave him a funny look. It looked like concern but it was gone in a flash. Harper was a growing boy and if he could he would eat anything he could get his hands on. Usually that wasn't much but he never turned down a food run. His older cousin also new what he was going through and when to back off.  
  
"Ok Shay, later."  
  
"Yeah, later."  
  
Harper settled down on his blankets and tried to sleep. It wasn't coming as easy as he had hoped. Every time he tried to close his eyes he felt an acidy substance grow in his stomach and flashes of his parents death came flooding back.  
  
Eventually his eyes traveled to his photos. One was of a fancy star ship he had ripped out of an old magazine. The other was his parent's wedding photo.  
  
His parents where in the front and there were some smiling people standing behind. An aunt and a grandfather his mother had told him but he had never met them. Would he show this picture to his kids? Would they care? The people in the photo would be strangers to them too. He felt the bile raise in the back of his throat and the tears scratching his eyelids to get out. 'No.' he thought and swallowed three time to get control.  
  
A smell made it to his nose and made him sneeze. 'What was that?' he thought and he glanced around. Just to the right of his parents picture was a small hole and a breeze was filtering through. 'Oh, oh I'll need to fix that before winter.' He tore a small piece off of one of his already damaged blankets. But just before he was about to stuff the rag into the small hole he saw something.  
  
He pressed his eye against the hole. 'Yup.' There it was the North Star. 'Cool.'  
  
He could also make out shadows of the camp. He could even see the barbwire fence separating the refugee camp from the Nietzschein strong hold. But years of war with them had polluted the air so bad you couldn't see the stars anymore. He glanced up again to double check. It had to be the North Star. He blinked twice and the tiny little sparkling speck didn't move. He smiled to himself maybe it was an omen. Maybe this place wouldn't be the last place he would sleep. Maybe someday he would get to go up there. And maybe, just maybe he wouldn't be alone anymore.  
  
He shook his head annoyed with himself and stuffed the rag in the little hole. 'Pipedreams' didn't keep you alive through the winter. He wasn't a small child anymore; he had to be more practical then that. He rolled over and quickly fell asleep.  
  
But something changed deep down inside. He was still young maybe the child hadn't died yet and a part of his soul held on to that tiny ray of hope. Maybe, sometimes, pipedreams came true.  
  
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Present time  
  
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Harper woke slowly. His ten-minute catnap turned into an hour and 45-minute sleep. He rubbed his hand over his face remembering the dream. 'Gawd' he had been so naive. It had been a long time ago. Things had been bad back then but in many ways simpler. There was cold, pain, hunger an overwhelming sadness but all of that had been a part of his life for so long they felt familiar. Especially after his parents death he had nothing to loose. Now there was so much to loose. If the others only knew what he did they would drop him like a moldy Cally melon. Beka always promised she would never dump him again but she didn't know the whole story. Life sucked on earth but it some ways it was harder now. He had a lot to lose.  
  
He hopped off his bunk and grabbed a Sparky and his tool belt as he made his way out the door. He was going to move the credits now. If he did it like it was an everyday event no one would notice. No one would notice that he had a bag full of Vedran credits with dates on them indicating they were made long after the commonwealth fell. No one would guess that he knew the way to Tarn Vendra and no one would have to know how he got that information.  
  
TBC 


	3. chapter 3

Thanks for all the sweet comments you guys are great!!! Hope you like the next part!  
  
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Four Years ago on the Maru  
  
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He has been on the Maru for nearly 6 months now thought Beka to her self and he still eats like he's in the camps. Harper sat across from her and Rev Bem looked on.  
  
"Master Harper perhaps the food would do you more good if you actually chewed it."  
  
Rev Bem was an old family friend and Beka was giving him passage to wayist monastery. Harper flinched slightly at the sound of the Magog's voice. With out meeting Rev's eye's he mumbled a reply, "Ummm sure sorry I'll remember that." He quickly pocketed some fruit and took off towards engineering.  
  
"And there he goes." Whispered Beka "You've been on board a week and he still jittery around you."  
  
"The boy's been through a lot."  
  
"That's it Rev, he's been here for six months now and I still don't really know much about him, I don't completely trust him."  
  
"Beka, I've learned you trust very few people. If it's any comfort to you I think he trusts you as much as you trust him."  
  
Beka smiled. She had missed Rev's rumbling wisdom. "I've missed you Rev I'm glad you're here."  
  
"I'm only sorry it's for such a short time."  
  
Beka nodded in understanding. "We all have places we need to be."  
  
"Do you have work?" Rev questioned  
  
"Yeah, we're heading to small place on the other side of the planet where we're dropping you off. There is some salvage work there, it's small job but it'll keep us in fuel for a while."  
  
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Two days later…  
  
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They had dropped Rev off and Harper and Beka were wandering around a small market waiting to meet their contact.  
  
Beka stopped at a stall to look at some parts they might use to fix the coolant pipes on the Maru when she noticed Harper wasn't beside her. She looked quickly around and spotted him standing near a large plant.  
  
"Harper?" she shouted but he had his eyes closed and didn't seem to hear him. She walked back to him and put her hand on his shoulder.  
  
He jumped slightly. "Oh, hey."  
  
"What the heck were you doing?"  
  
"Sorry I just realized how much I missed trees, space is different you know."  
  
"You miss trees?" Beka couldn't keep the sarcasm from her voice.  
  
Harper looked embarrassed. "Umm, sorry look lets go."  
  
Beka felt a twinge of guilt. "Look, I'm sorry I just sometimes forget that you're from a planet. Me, personally I prefer space."  
  
Harper looked like he was about to reply when an extra large creature approached them.  
  
"You Beka Valentine?"  
  
"What's it to you?"  
  
The creature's head bobbed when it spoke shaking its octopus like tentacles on the top of its head. "The boss calls me Leroy, I'm suppose to met you and bring you back to the warehouse to pick up the stuff."  
  
Beka met Harper's eyes. He had a smirk on his face and mouthed back at her "Leroy?"  
  
Beka had to raise her hand to cover her own smile. When she turned back to the creature she was all business. "Alright, Leroy we go, but remember my hand will be on my blaster at all times."  
  
Leroy seems to accept this as a matter of business and started off in a lumbering gate out of the Market place. Harper had to jog to keep up.  
  
After about a ten-minute jog they reached their destination. Leroy opened a large metal door and stirred up the surrounding dust. Harper sneezed three times but tried to hide his allergies. Beka hadn't seen him sick yet. He was forever getting sick on earth but had been completely germ free on the Maru so far. He didn't want her to know that just about everything caused him to get sick. A sick crewman might get dumped pretty quickly. She did give him a quick puzzled glance but then quickly focused on the task at hand.  
  
Leroy walked into the dark unlit building without hesitation. Something was up though she could feel it in her bones and she didn't like it. She hesitated for a moment and drew her blaster.  
  
"Seamus stay here. I'll be right back okay? Watch my back." Harper nodded and drew his own blaster as Beka followed Leroy into the warehouse.  
  
More then a few moments past, Harper was starting to get a headache and he was starting to worry. Suddenly he could hear voices, loud angry voices.  
  
"Beka?" He shouted, the twin suns of this planet were so bright he couldn't see anything as he peered into the dark building  
  
"Its ok," He heard Beka shout back "come on in."  
  
Harper wandering in blinking rapidly trying to get his eyes used to the dim light. After a moment he saw Beka leaning against some pallets with boxes stacked on top. She didn't look happy her arms were crossed across her chest and her eyes looked like ice. He then heard a voice that made his skin crawl and his body instantly reacted and he turned with a raised blaster.  
  
"Hey Kid, you still here." It was Bobby.  
  
Harper didn't bother to answer and kept his gun trained on Bobby's head.  
  
"Beka, what's he doing here?"  
  
She sighed heavily. "It's ok Harper put your blaster down. Bobby's hired us to do a job."  
  
Harper's blaster didn't move. "Yeah sure and I'm the Vedran Empress."  
  
"Yeah well you fight like a girl, you might as well be." Snarled Bobby.  
  
Harper clicked the safety off. "You better…"  
  
"Boys!" Beka interrupted. She walked over and took the blaster from Harper's hands. She talked to Harper but her eyes we're all on Bobby. "We're just doing a job, nothing more, nothing less."  
  
Harper wasn't satisfied but what could he do? Beka stepped between them. "I mean it Bobby this is just a job… and I want my money up front!"  
  
"Yeah sure baby, I know it's just a job, I'll give you half now and half when you deliver." Bobby's voice didn't sound sincere but Beka nodded curtly.  
  
"You lie to me again and I'll kill you."  
  
Bobby just smiled. Harper wanted so badly to remove it but he just snarled at him from behind Beka.  
  
"Lets go Harper."  
  
And they headed back to the Maru.  
  
****  
  
The next day Harper ran some errands for Beka. He picked up some things they would need for the trip. Including an extra couple of Sparky cola's just in case. He headed over to the warehouse with a box load of stuff and it was getting quite heavy. Leroy stood outside and stopped him as he tried to enter.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Boss is busy."  
  
"I don't give a damn about Bobby I'm with Beka." He started again but Leroy grabbed his arm causing Harper to drop the box. Harper swore and reached down to pick up his stuff when he glanced into the building and saw Beka and Bobby in a heavy make out session. "Gawd, not again!"  
  
Beka heard him and looked up. "Boss say it isn't so!"  
  
"Shut up kid." Bobby snarled as Beka straightened her hair. Beka wandered over to him.  
  
"It's okay Harper, everything's worked out." But she had a funny look on her face that he couldn't quite read.  
  
"I don't…" he met her eyes then and he could see the film of white. "Your on flash?"  
  
She giggled and smiled an unsteady smile. "It's what I'm, umm … we're hauling for Bobby."  
  
"WHAT!" She reached over and covered his mouth with her hand  
  
"It's okay really, I just need you to run one more errand for me then we'll go… everything will work out okay you'll see." Harper tried to protest but she wasn't listening. "He are some credits." She placed three small chips in his hand. "I need you to get me some nano widgets, ten of them, then get back here okay?"  
  
Harper nodded unsure. "Sure Boss," he whispered.  
  
She ruffled his hair like a dog. "Good now scoot." She gave him a small push.  
  
He looked at her for a moment then turned and wandered out of the warehouse.  
  
Forty-five minutes later when he returned they were gone. The Maru's docking bay was as empty as the warehouse. Yet one ironic thought kept rolling through his mind. 'They took Leroy but left me behind.'  
  
"Give them hell Leroy." He whispered and wandered down the street. He was alone again. Only this time he was really alone. No Beka or Brendan, no rebel squad… hell he didn't even know where he was. Harper's eyes gazed towards the setting suns; even the sun had a friend. 'Trust is over rated.'  
  
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	4. chapter 4

Sorry for the delay I promise more regular intervals from now on. A big huge hug and thank you for all those who reviewed … your words mean a lot… thanks  
  
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Two weeks later  
  
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Harper sat huddled against the cold night winds. He sat in a small space between two buildings trying to draw his chin into his light jacket. Beka had left. He had gotten over it quickly enough he had no disillusionments. People left him all the time. It's the way the universe moved. The thing that did annoy him though was the stuff. He had never owned very much but all he had ever owned Beka Valentine took with her. His parents wedding photo, the now much worn magazine cut out of his dream ship, his last shriller, an old blanket and a change of clothes all stuffed in a small brown canvas bag were still all on the Eureka Maru. 'Probably all in the recycler by now,' he thought bitterly. It was that damn freakoid Bobby's fault. He had never seen Beka touch any thing harder then a stiff drink the entire time he had spent with her. He had liked her she a tough babe, but when she was with Bobby something changed. She became needy. Hell, he understood needy, sympathized even. Yet her whole personality changed when she was around him, and he wasn't sure he liked that other person. Not that it mattered anymore; he got what he needed for the most part. He got of earth, like he always wanted. Why did he feel like crap then? He rubbed his hands together and blew on them and watched what little night life there was come alive.  
  
So far he had survived doing what he had to. He wasn't proud. He had spent the first night just watching, trying to figure out who were the Kluges and who were the Ubers in this place. It was harder to tell here it was as cut and dry as earth. There were the shopkeepers who were the most honestly wealthy people. The young crowd who were mostly the shopkeeper's older children, the weird thing about them is they dressed wild. Almost like they were trying to look poor while they walked around in brand-new boots and carrying expensive drinks. Then there were the poorer families who did various jobs for the shopkeepers. Then you started get street scum like him self and then there was one creature lower then him, the organized crime faction. Basically your pimps, drug dealers and gang leaders. Harper had had to deal with them much yet. He mostly followed the young crowd around trying to get close enough to pick a pocket or two. He had been pretty successful up until last night when he got caught. They roughed him up a bit; he got a black eye, a couple of bruises and missed supper. Other then that he was ok. The hardest part was not many of them spoke common and their language was really hard for him to follow. He had never been very good at learning other languages. He saw tonight's prey. Three young women and one guy walked by his little nook. The four were huddled together and laughing as they stood by an outdoor vender that sold hot drinks. They showed their money openly they almost seemed to be flaunting it in front of him. Harper stood up from his hiding place and made his way over to the vender. He stood near them trying to look like he belonged to their group with out actually being noticed by the young people themselves. He closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled, the hot drinks almost smelt like coffee. When the young man made a joke, or at least he thought it was a joke, he made sure he laughed along with the group. Meanwhile getting himself ever closer to the one girl's jacked which was baggy and loose and where he could see her wallet. Then in an instance he had it and he slunk back into the shadows and around the corner.  
  
He was two blocks away when he felt a hand on his shoulder spinning him around half pinning him to a nearby wall. One of the lower scums he had been avoiding looked him in the eye why three of his buddies came around the corner. They weren't human but they were pretty close. They looked like Leroy but not as big. They spoke to him in their rough guttural language. Harper shook his head indicating he didn't understand.  
  
"Common?" the leader finally grunted.  
  
"Yeah, you catch on real quick" Harper agreed with sarcasm. The tentacled haired alien looked at him confused. Obviously 'Common' wasn't there language of choice.  
  
"We saw what you did." He continued unabated.  
  
"So what's it to you squid head?!"  
  
The alien slammed him hard against the wall as his friends looked on menacingly. "What squid head???"  
  
Harper didn't bother with a reply this conversation was pointless. They were either going to take the wallet from him and throw him around a bit or kill him, either way he would just rather get on with it. Harper hoped that these creatures had the same basic anatomy, and slammed his knee into the creature's groin. The squid head screamed and feel to the ground. Harper sneered and allowed himself a moment of victory. In hindsight gloating wasn't the best thing for the situation. Harper screamed two weeks of frustration out on the creature using every earth swear word he could think of, but before he had finished his third sentence the leader's buddies where all over him and then the streetlights dimmed and he didn't remember anything for a while.  
  
He awoke sometime later on the floor of a very tiny four by five foot room. It was really more of a box with a light source and a locked door. His head pounded as he took stock of the room. More bruises he sighed and he noticed he was only looking around with one eye, as the other was swollen shut. He reached up and lightly touched his eye with his hand. He swore a couple times under his breath. He bet it looked nasty. The door jerked open suddenly and a squid head was dragging him from the small gray room before he was fully conscious. He was too sore to fight back and he let the creature drag him away.  
  
He was taken to a set of large doors and the creature knocked out a rhythm that was obviously the code to be let in. The giant doors swung inwards. He let out a low whistle. He had to say he was impressed. He was dragged into a large room filled with every sort of electrical device you could imagine. His eyes bounced around the over stuffed room trying to take it all in. Another squid head that had met them at the door showed them they way to what seemed like a back office type room. The alien grunted at the door when he heard a reply in very clear Common.  
  
"Enter." He was pushed inside. The two squid heads seemed to hang back a bit. Harper quickly saw why they were nervous and swallowed loudly himself as he stood in front of a very large Nietzschein. Harper hadn't seen any other Nietzscheins on the planet, where had this one come from?  
  
The Nietzschein stood up from his chair and walked over to him towering over him in an obvious attempt to intimidate him. He had been around them his whole life and his face would not betray his fear and he met the Nietzschein's eyes unflinchingly. After a quick staring contest the big Uber sneered at him in an unnatural smile. "The boys here say you have been encroaching on our area here."  
  
"Sorry I didn't see any signs."  
  
"Everyone here knows the rules, you're not from around here are you."  
  
"Did your mother name you Einstein?"  
  
"You try my patience Kluge but the boys say your good and I am here to offer you a choice."  
  
"What's it going to cost me?"  
  
"You stay here, in our section and I get half of everything you steal."  
  
"Not very likely!"  
  
"I'll send work your way and you'll get to keep your hands." Harper hadn't seen that part coming and the big Nietzschein pointed to the decorations that hung on his wall. "I already have quite a collection." Harper did his best to keep what little he had in his stomach down as he looked around at the collection of hands, fingers and tentacles nailed to the back wall. He quickly forced his eyes to the floor.  
  
"I guess I don't have much of a choice for now… I'm in."  
  
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short for now but more will be up real soon and the next part will be more exciting I promise… plus it's late so if it doesn't make sense I'll fix it tomorrow.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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	5. chapter 5

Thanks you guys for sticking with me… your comments are inspiring!!! Here is the next part… I hope this is all making sense so far…more to come asap!  
  
Thanks for offering to beta read when I'm done Majik!  
  
And a special hug and thanks to all of the rest of you  
  
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Harper was looking to run again he just hadn't figured out the scam. He had been working for Sirius for about a week now and he couldn't say much for the job. Sirius was a lone Nietzschein and that worried him. Nietzschein's were always in groups and it was just a matter of time before the other shoe dropped and Sirius's big happy family showed up. Harper couldn't figure out Sirius's game plan. All Nietzschein's had one. These were the thoughts that kept him warm at night.  
  
Harper was working the latest scam for his new boss. He was hanging out at a large political rally of some sort. He was 'liberating' all sorts of different stuff while the crowd listened to various speeches. It had been a good day and it was almost time met with the Uber's henchmen to go over their haul. But he had a few minutes and decided to take a break. The sun felt warm on his face and he sat down under a large plant. He relaxed his muscles for the first time since he arrived on this forsaken planet and closed his eyes. The nights were cold and the days overtly hot, today was better he could even feel a breeze.  
  
Someone kicked him hard in the leg and yelled at him in the squid heads native tongue.  
  
Harper sat up with a jerk. "Oh gawd what time is it!" he had fallen asleep, the speeches were over and all that was left behind was the litter. The squid head started to make motioning waves at him that Harper took to mean no loitering. He got to his feet and looked at the sun's they were starting to set. He had missed the rendezvous with Sirius' henchmen and was in big trouble. He took off at a jog to the old office complex they used for an office. It was nearly dark when he arrived and he opened the main door hesitantly, when he realized the other shoe had dropped. Five Nietzschein males sat in Sirius's office and they were all in deep conversation. Reint, the main henchman, spotted him and hauled him all the way into the building.  
  
"You missed our time." He hissed in broken common.  
  
"I know I'm sorry. I … I can explain."  
  
"Gimme all stuff." Grunted Reint and started to grab at Harper's pockets  
  
"No way you're not getting all the credit!" Harper's voice was a little louder then he intended as he jerked his body away. The Nietzschein's turned at the noise. Sirius smiled an unnatural smile that sent shivers down his spine.  
  
"Ah, boy you're here … come over here."  
  
Harper stopped his struggle but hesitated for a minute before moving towards his boss. Reint gave him a shove forward.  
  
"Closer." Indicated Sirius. Soon he was standing in the middle of a group of Nietzschein's and for a boy from earth this was the last place he wanted to be. He looked at the floor careful not to meet anyone's eyes. "I have a new job for you. These are my cousin's and they are flying cargo, you use to fly on a cargo ship right?" Sirius was talking to him as if he were a child. Harper didn't answer to many thoughts were flying through his head.  
  
"Are you sure the kludge understands common?" asked one of the cousins.  
  
"Yeah, yeah." Sirius waved his hand, "You usually can't get him to shut up… boy answer the question, you used to work on a cargo ship. Am I correct?"  
  
"Yeah for six months." His voice was barley audible.  
  
"What was your role on this ship?" Asked yet another cousin.  
  
"Engineer." He whispered.  
  
The big Nietzschein laughed out loud. "Engineer! Sirius you have got to be kidding, he's a kludge and barley old enough to be away from his mother!"  
  
"He's smarter then he looks." Replied Sirius. Harper restrained himself from making a face. "Look what can you lose, if he doesn't work out dump him out the air lock."  
  
"He doesn't 'work out' we'll be without an engineer!" replied the same big Nietzschein.  
  
The conversation went on as if he wasn't standing there anymore. Sirius got up and started pacing the small room in front of Harper. "Look he might not even make as far as the ship anyway, I say we go through with our plan to use him as a faux hostage and if he makes we'll also have an engineer."  
  
"What plan?" He whispered but no one answered him  
  
"I say we take one of those other creatures of yours Sirius, they are native to the planet the authorities will be more concerned about it." One of the Nietzschein's spoke  
  
"Yes but if we take one of the other's they will also be more determined to save him, I don't think they will try to hard to save a some earth kid, but they won't let us kill him either...it's perfect!" Finally the other agreed and started to disperse.  
  
The biggest Nietzschein confirmed their next meeting time with Sirius and followed the others out the door. Sirius then pulled Harper aside. "You should be happy kid I just did something great for you."  
  
"What's going on?" questioned Harper. Sirius closed the door then sat at the table he used as a desk. He leaned back in his chair and quietly drummed his fingers in thought before answering the question.  
  
"We're going to rob a bank and your going to be our hostage."  
  
"W-what !" sputtered Harper.  
  
"Then we are going to use this old ship for our get away, so you'll need to fix it up… then if you're still alive and if you play your cards right we'll take you with. We're going to use the money to fund our expedition. If you're a good little kluge I'll keep you on to work for us."  
  
"What is the expedition for?" he whispered nervously.  
  
Sirius smiled proudly, "For nothing less then the "Engine of Creation" boy! Once I have it Labella, the alpha female of my tribe, will not be able to deny me! I will return to my ancestral home and marry her."  
  
Harper's eyes grew large. "The Engine of Creation?"  
  
Sirius smiled a wicked smile. "You tell anyone and I'll break you in half! I'll show you the ship you'll have to repair tomorrow and in a weeks time we'll make our move."  
  
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TBC  
  
He 


	6. chapter 6

Sorry this was so long in coming I hope you are all still with me!  
  
Thank you again to all those who reviewed the earlier chapters  
  
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Harper sat in the dark closet exhausted but to anxious to sleep. Sirius had been keeping him locked up in the old dank closet so he wouldn't be able to tell anyone one of the 'big plan'. The rest of the time he spent working on the piece of crap that Sirius called a ship. The big bulky craft made the Eureka Maru look like the Hilton. He had worked hard but it was finally ready. Tomorrow was the robbery. He had stolen a lot of things in his life but the things he stole were necessary to survive. Most of the time the things he stole were from the Nietzscheins now he was working with Nietzscheins. Not that he had much choice anymore. Before he probably could have run away found some transport to get him off the planet but now it was to late, and though no one has actually said the words he was once again a slave to the Nietzscheins.  
  
He closed his eyes in despair. Maybe this was his fate, he was meant to be a slave.  
  
He fell in to an erratic doze so when Sirius kicked him in the shin to wake him it felt as if he had only been asleep for a moment. He blinked at the bright light that flooded the small closet.  
  
"It's time," grunted Sirius. Harper got up and blearily followed him to the ship. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and quickly gave the ship one last inspection. He shook his head and smiled weakly. The ship was obviously used and it had come with a name. "Thelma" was painted in vivid red letters across the outside helm. Well he had to admit to himself it was a good disguise no one would be expecting any self-respecting Nietzschein to be flying this hunk of junk. The rest of the group showed up. Harper felt more then a little out of place being the only non-Nietzschein aboard but Sirius quickly let Harper know where he stood in the chain of command, the bottom.  
  
Sirius took a small device out of his pocket and Harper started backing away. He recognized the device.  
  
"Just what the hell are you planning to do with that thing!" Harper gripped suddenly feeling ill.  
  
"You've seen it before?" smiled Sirius.  
  
Harper stopped when he could back away no more and his back hit the bulkhead. "It's a slave collar and I'm no ones slave."  
  
"You need to put it on, we need to be able to trust you when you go into the bank alone."  
  
"Forget it No Way I'm out of here!" Harper ducked away from Sirius who had tried to grab him and ran for the door.  
  
Sirius was to fast though and grabbed the back of his jacket as he reached the door. The threadbare material ripped under his grip but Sirius had him by the back of the neck before it was completely shredded. Harper screamed and kicked. Sirius' clan stood around and laughed as he dealt with the unruly mudfoot. Finally he managed to force Harper to the ground face down and placed a knee in the centre of his back. Harper continued to struggle so Sirius slapped him roughly on the side of the head. Harper was momentarily stunned and Sirius quickly attached the control collar to his wrist.  
  
"You belong to me now boy!" He growled roughly in his ear "and you will do as I say! Now get up!"  
  
Harper got to his feet shakily. He quickly brushed a tear of shame from his eye before the Nietzscheins could see it. He looked down at his feet refusing to meet Sirius eyes. Had nothing changed? On earth he had managed to stay out of the slave camps. His parents had died trying to save him from the slave camps and Brendan had saved his butt on more then a dozen occasions. Yet here he was. Was he really that incapable of taking care of himself? By becoming Sirius's slave he had let them all down. The shame felt heavy in his chest.  
  
"Now, listen kid this is what we need you to do." Sirius started, "you will walk in to the bank like it's an every day thing. I want you to go up to one of the computer tellers, understand so far?" Harper nodded mutely. "While you're at the terminal I want you to implant this virus, which will shut down the internal defenses." Sirius handed Harper a small chip. "Lose that chip and I'll kill you. Then when we enter, pretend you don't see us until it's obvious the bank is being robbed. At that point on of us will grab you and pretend you're our hostage. We'll tell you what to do from there. Any questions?"  
  
Harper shook his head.  
  
"Good, now with the collar on your wrist, at anytime when I feel your not living up to our expectations I'll turn it on. The shock is severe and very painful. I can even set it to blow your hand off if I so choose."  
  
Harper could hear the other Nietzscheins laughing at him. 'What a horrible day' he thought to himself.  
  
Sirius directed him to a corner of the transport and forced him to sit. Someone turned on the engines. 'Thelma' gave a little shudder but soon they were in the air and with in minutes they were landing near the bank.  
  
Sirius pushed Harper out the transport doors and threatened his obedience once more. Harper made his way hesitantly towards the banks door and paused at the entrance.  
  
It was early morning. The bank was filled to the rim with hundreds of different types of humanoids. He was slightly amazed that people still used banks, as there were none on earth anymore. He finally saw where the lines started for the computer tellers and joined the line up. After about a ten- minute wait he stepped up to the terminal. Quickly he pulled the virus chip from his pocket and inserted it into one of the deposit slots. He glanced nervously over his shoulder but no one seemed to notice.  
  
He drummed his fingers anxiously as he waited for confirmation that the virus was working and wondered if anyone else could hear his heart beating in his chest. He glanced down at the terminal in front of him. "Come on, come one." He whispered. He scratched at the 'collar' that was starting to cause a rash on his wrist.  
  
The Teller started to make a weird whirring noise. Some of the other patrons began to glance over curiously. Harper stepped back slightly from the terminal surprised. Then a loud pop echoed through the room and green smoke billowed from the terminal he was standing at. "Aww hell!" he swore, something had gone terribly wrong. The patrons of the banks started yelling and coughing. Some rushed to the doors in panic. The doors would not budge and seemed to seal them in. Slowly people fell to the ground. Harper himself felt woozy and his knees buckled beneath him. He glanced over to the 'man' beside him who lay on the ground laboring for breath.  
  
"Why…" he gasped, "Why did you do this to us?"  
  
Harper could not answer him he could only stare back in shock as the man's eyes turned glassy and he quite breathing.  
  
This wasn't a robbery this was a well-planned massacre and He had just been the catalyst for mass murder.  
  
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sorry so short… tbc 


	7. chapter 7

CLIFFHANGER'S moi ? !! (parisindy batts eyes innocently) heeheehee  
  
Okay here's the next part be warned it rated "R"  
  
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Harper sat amongst the chaos. He was still too stunned to react. His head felt foggy and his stomach rolled. The smoke was starting to clear and all the clear could reveal is more death. Harper had seen death before. In fact he had been witness to scenes like the one that lay before him many times. Magog raids, Nietzschein cleansing raids. Hell he had even killed before, more times then he could count. He fought when he needed to, kill when he needed to. It was the way to survive on earth. But, these people… he didn't hate them, hell he didn't even know them and now they were dead because of him. All he wanted to do was get off of earth because things would be better. He looked around him. Nothing had changed.  
  
He felt ill, the room began to spin and he was loosing his battle with nausea.  
  
As if the voice of the devil was whispering in his ear he heard someone call his name. "Harper…BOY!"  
  
Harper blinked a couple of times and looked around. There was nothing but death, no movement at all. "HARPER!" the voice screamed. He brain started to function a little and he realized the voice was Sirius's and it was coming from his control collar. He lifted his wrist to his mouth. "Yeah."  
  
"Get on your feet and go to the vault."  
  
"Sirius…" He was still dazed and was having trouble focusing on what was being said. "There all dead."  
  
"Of course they are...now hurry, security is on its way! On your feet now!"  
  
Harper looked around the room and spotted the vault towards the back… he stepped over the body of the man who had accused him with his dying breath, who's face would forever haunt him in his dreams. He stepped over many more. There could be hundred's here his mind raged but he turned his thoughts off. He needed to get through this. Once again he was doing what he needed to.  
  
"I'm here." He whispered into the collar on his wrist.  
  
Sirius voiced buzzed back an urgent reply "Open the door and look for two large blue bags grab them and get the hell out! Hurry!"  
  
Harper reached for the vault door but something blocked his path. He looked down and met the glassy stare of a beautiful young woman. Her body lay slumped against the door. She had blue eyes and light green hair that matched the very subtle jade colour of her skin. He couldn't break the gaze. Moments ago she had been alive.  
  
Harper very swiftly and violently lost control of his stomach. He turned his head and heaved the contents of his stomach on the floor.  
  
He wiped his hand across his forehead. He could hear sirens. He reached down and with a brief apology grabbed the young woman's arm and pulled her away from the door. With in seconds he had found the bags Sirius had mentioned and ran out the door.  
  
He saw the ship and ran up the boarding ramp. Thelma's engines were already running and the minute he was on board the airlocks sealed behind him. He felt her shutter as they entered the upper atmosphere.  
  
He leaned against a nearby bulkhead and his knees buckled. He slid down the wall to the floor. It was only then he realized he still had the bags in his hands. He looked down at his hands that were clenched around the material of the bags. The adrenaline in his system was starting to dissipate and reality was setting in.  
  
His hands started to shake.  
  
Sirius walked from the cockpit area and crouched down beside him, studying him. "You did well boy. Tonight we'll celebrate." He smiled and ruffled Harper's hair like a dog.  
  
Harper's voice was scratchy from the poisoned smoke but like the man who lay dying he needed to know.  
  
"Why." he stopped and coughed "why did you kill them?"  
  
"Those creatures belonged to a race that my pride has been at war with for a hundred years. We dealt them a heavy blow they won't soon forget." Sirius looked at him a moment longer and then leaned forward to remove the bags from Harpers now limp but shaky hands.  
  
Harper coughed again, he could feel his body failing him, and vertigo was setting in. Sirius grabbed his shirt as he started to tip over and helped him lay down. "Wh…why didn't I die?"  
  
Sirius laughed a light laugh. "By the looks of you, you might yet… didn't you notice boy?"  
  
Harper shook his head barely conscious.  
  
Sirius laughed again. "They were all humanoids but you were the only human. The gas was created that way."  
  
Harper heard Sirius stand up and he could feel the bags were gone.  
  
He dozed in out of consciousness for hours. He had a fever and the cold metal of the bulkhead felt cool against his back. In one of his waking times he watched the group of Nietzscheins sitting around a small table examining the contents of the two sacks. Their voices floated over him like clouds.  
  
"I'm telling you Sirius the Engine of Creation is just a pipedream. This is the real deal! We could make enough money to build a whole fleet of fighters… hell, we may not even have to they might already be built!"  
  
"I don't know are you sure these are genuine?"  
  
"Absolutely… and look at the date on the chips…fifty years after the fall of the common wealth, after Tarn Vendra was cut off!"  
  
Sirius shook his head in disbelief. "We still have no idea how to get there…"  
  
One of the older Nietzscheins, one that barley ever spoke cleared his throat. All talking stopped and everyone turned towards him. "There might be a way…"  
  
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TBC 


	8. chapter 8

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews guys you are all so sweet… I can't tell you what it means to me that you're actually interested in reading my drivel LOL… I'm sorry this part took so long. I'll try to be faster… I had a bit of writer's block but it's getting better… damn I would rather have a cold the writers block… oh well here's the next bit… oh and by the way …  
  
Lauriena TAG YOUR IT!!  
  
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After Three days of lying on the floor Harper started to feel marginally better. His back had a terminal case of the cramps but his fever was gone and he felt thirsty. He crawled to his feet and looked around. Not much had changed. Deep inside Harper would never be the same but he dealt with it like he had dealt with all the major catastrophes in his life, he kept going. If he pretended it never happened for a while he could keep functioning and as time passed it would get easier. One of the Neits was sleeping on a bunk two were up in command and Sirius himself sat nearby reading a book. He looked as Harper stood.  
  
"Have you decided to live then boy?"  
  
"Yeah, whether you like it or not." Sneered Harper  
  
"Then eat and get down to the engine room, there are repairs to be done." Sirius ignored Harper's tone and either didn't notice or care when Harper stuck out his tongue as he went back to his book.  
  
Harper staggered his way over to the galley he was still really weak. What ever was in that poisoned gas really had knocked him off his feet. He looked in a few containers but the smells alone still made his nauseous. He looked for the water tank and after gulping down three glasses he wandered off to what this bucket called an engineering bay.  
  
He had done most of the repairs before… well before they left the planet. Harper pushed down the feelings that tried to overwhelm him. He swallowed a couple of times and tried to focus on his work. 'Gawd' how long was he out? Had they driven the engine through a minefield? There were small leaks everywhere.  
  
Over the next couple of days Harper literally ate and slept in the engine room. It was easier for him all the way around this way. He was out of Sirius's and his cronies' way. "Out of site and out of mind" he whispered to himself. Plus he wasn't feeling the best yet and the engine room was the warmest. Keeping busy also helped. Nighttime was always what he dreaded though. Even on earth he had nightmares recent events just seemed to escalate the problem. He could always rest but it seemed impossible to turn his mind off. The nightmares would start with his parents, it was nice at least that they seemed to go chronological. First, his parents being ripped apart by Nietzscheins then the Magog raids this were the familiar nightmares. In some ways they had become almost soothing since he had become so used to having them. Various beatings given to him by the Ubers and other just as nasty people would flash through his mind. Then came the big one. It seemed the worst because it was the freshest… the smoke the man asking him why…the pretty girl by the vault … Harper sat up with a gasp. At first he didn't remember where he was. But quickly the memories flooded back leaving him gasping for air. This was what happened night after night.  
  
Harper didn't remember much of what happened while he was sick but he was pretty sure he was a 'wanted' man. He was also pretty sure that some one had said the words 'Tarn Vedra'. He hadn't heard much since he was spending most of his time in engineering but sometimes his hunger and he curiosity drove him away from his repairs. He stood in the galley stuffing his pockets with bread, when no one was looking, and trying to hear what Sirius and the older Nietzschein 'Tritan' were talking about.  
  
Tritan was talking in a low gruff voice. "I met this Perseid once, a dozen years ago, he had been the assistant to the one that went insane… you remember the one who wrote the diary."  
  
Sirius nodded "Yes, I remember reading about that somewhere"  
  
"Well he said he traveled with him when he was plotting the way to Tarn Vedra and that as crazy one had gone completely insane by the time that they reached Tarn Vedra he had flown their vessel back. The Perseids are intelligent creatures, a bit to fragile and skittish but very smart. By the time he has flown the vessel back to normal space he had memorized the route."  
  
Sirius nodded happily like a kid hearing a bedtime story. "So what happened next, why didn't you demand to know the route then?"  
  
"I did," continued Tritan "he was looking for someone to travel back with him, but there were people chasing him and we lost contact before we could complete our business deal."  
  
"What makes you think he hasn't found someone else? Hell, he could be dead even."  
  
"I heard a bit about a crazy Perseid not long ago, my guess is no one believed him, I heard that he was on a commerce planet not far from here. I doubt he's still there but maybe we could find some leads."  
  
At that point Sirius noticed Harper.  
  
"BOY! What are you doing shouldn't you be working?"  
  
"Yes sir, just going." He answered quickly shuffling back to engineering but his heart was beating with excitement. He took a minute to think…Nah; Tarn Vedra was just like all the other things he wished for…it was just a pipedream.  
  
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A few days later they docked at the commerce planet.  
  
Harper had been ordered too stay on board since he was wanted by about a million different law enforcement agencies, he had to agree that it was a good idea. Sirius had set his slave collar so he wasn't able to wander away from Thelma just in case while they went to search for 'the mad Perseids' assistant.  
  
Harper was bored though and missed being on a planet. There was nobody around so he figured it was safe to sit outside for a few minutes. He sat on the boarding platform of their ship so at least he could get some fresh air while he tinkered with a flexi.  
  
He was searching for a way to over ride the slave collar when he heard a voice that made his hair stand on end. Well, okay it was already standing up but the voice certainly got his attention. He quickly ducked up the ramp out of sight but peered around the corner to find the owner of the voice.  
  
"Bobby, I mean it your off the Maru … I'm not going to turn out like my father …I'm done with that stuff!"  
  
"Beka… baby" started Bobby as the two came around the corner of the docking bay and stopped to argue in front of him.  
  
"Forget it!" She snarled  
  
Bobby raised his hand in fury and smacked Beka across the face and she staggered.  
  
Harper let out a scream of rage, uttering his best battle cry, and flew down the ramp at Bobby.  
  
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tbc 


	9. chapter 9

Lauriena, Fanficaddict, bolo, Raven, Brit, mary rose, starfish, ameila, hebe, delbi, guardian loki, lrnd …thank you for everything … I'm glad you've all stuck with me… The nice comments aren't expected but they are appreciated and it's nice to know that I'm not the only Harper loving drom addict out here in this big universe…  
  
Here's the next part hope it's okay…  
  
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Harper collided with Bobby's shoulder. Since he had launched him self from Thelma's boarding ramp it gave him a little unexpected height. Bobby fell to the tarmac very much like the lumbering tree he was. Vaguely he heard Beka let out a shout of surprise but the world around him seemed far away. He slugged Bobby harshly across the face three times before Bobby could react from the surprise. Harper yelled with the weeks of built up pain and fury but his next strike never connected as Bobby threw him off. Harper hit the ground and rolled.  
  
He rolled a little too far.  
  
He hit the invisible mark; he was over fifteen feet from the ship and his collar kicked in. A lightning bolt of electricity flew up his arm and into his skull. He yelled in agony and dragged his aching body closer to the ship.  
  
"Well what do we have here?" sneered Bobby as he dragged his forearm across his nose. He glanced at his arm and the red smear of blood on his shirt. "You little piece of crap I'm bleeding!"  
  
Quickly before Harper was able to recover completely he grabbed the mudfoot's wrist and lifted it way above Harper's head. He smiled as the boy tried to balance dizzily on tiptoes to keep his arm from being pulled from its socket.  
  
"Looks like some new jewelry huh kid?"  
  
"Go to hell" whispered Harper under his breath. Harper was just starting to feel better from the smoke but he didn't have his usual strength back yet and this mammoth was stronger to start with… what had he been thinking?  
  
Bobby pulled his arm higher and Harper groaned.  
  
Harper closed his eyes against the pain for less then a nano second when he heard the sound of a blaster charging. He blinked his eyes open and smiled… she looked like a goddess. A goddess with a blaster pressed to the neck of her deadbeat boy friend. "Hey Boss." He smiled at her.  
  
"Drop him now Bobby!"  
  
Bobby did so very abruptly and Harper fell to his knees holding his aching shoulder.  
  
"Beka …" Bobby started. He held his arms out as if to embrace her his face and voice all smiles but it didn't quite match the expression in his eyes. Bobby was canned fury.  
  
Harper finally got to his feet and skittered his way behind Beka, being careful not to get to far away from Thelma. He had her back.  
  
"Bobby … go now." Beka's voice was steel.  
  
"Beka..."  
  
"You won't touch my ship, my crew or me ever again. Go now!"  
  
Bobby started towards her and she fired a round at the tarmac by his feet. Bobby froze and studied them both for a second.  
  
"I'm like flash Baby you might try to give me up but sooner or later you'll want more."  
  
Beka's hands shook a little but the blaster never lost its focus. "Go." She whispered a final time.  
  
Bobby smiled his evil little grin and turned and walked away. Beka had her gun trained on him till he was finally out of sight and then fell to the ground sobbing.  
  
Harper stared at her for a moment more then a little uncomfortable. He wasn't any good with the mushy stuff but pain and loss he understood. He sat down on the ground in front of her cross-legged. Beka reached over and grabbed him in a half strangling bear hug and sobbed on his shoulder. After a second he relaxed into her embrace and hugged her back.  
  
"I'm sorry Seamus." She gasped between sobs.  
  
"Sorry for what?" He asked her confused.  
  
She let out a partially gurgled laugh. "For leaving you behind dumb dumb."  
  
"It's okay… people always leave me." When he said it he wasn't being melodramatic or anything simply stating a fact but Beka paused and pulled away slightly to look him in the face.  
  
"I won't…ever again."  
  
"Don't make promises you can't keep boss."  
  
"I don't." she whispered  
  
Harper studied her for a moment but a lifetime of hardship wouldn't allow him to believe her.  
  
Her face was starting to turn blue where Bobby hit her and she was going to have a mean black eye. "Did he hurt you bad?"  
  
Beka placed her hand on her heart "Nothing that won't heal." She then paused at took stock of there situation. "What's that thing on your arm?"  
  
Harper looked away quickly as reality came crashing back to him. "A slave collar."  
  
"A what!?"  
  
"Things have… well, been less then stellar."  
  
She grabbed his wrist and started fiddling with the device … "Beka NO!" he jerked his arm back "Are you trying to blow my arm off!"  
  
He looked at her and immediately regretted his harsh words. She didn't know and she looked hurt. "Look Beka…I'm sorry."  
  
She had been hearing that a lot lately.  
  
"I can't take it off… I can't go further then fifteen feet from the ship or I get that nasty shock you saw."  
  
"I'm not leaving you…"  
  
"I don't see where you have much of a choice… besides there's things you don't know…"  
  
Just then Harper flinched. "Aw Gawd no."  
  
"What?" asked Beka urgently. He could hear voices of Sirius, Tritan and the others. They were coming back.  
  
"Beka you got to go … run!"  
  
"I told you I'm not leaving."  
  
Harper started to panic, as the voices got closer. "No really go, go!" He pushed her away.  
  
She grabbed the front of his shirt and forced him to meet her eyes. "I always keep my promises."  
  
'This was going to get messy' was all he could think.  
  
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TBC of course ;-) 


	10. chapter 10

A million thanks to all those that reviewed … Sorry so short it's been a busy couple of days…more to come soon!  
  
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Beka pulled the unarmed Harper to his feet and pushed him behind her. She lifter her blaster and aimed it in the general area the voices sounded like they were coming from. She didn't have to wait long.  
  
Sirius and the others rounded the corner and met Beka's glare head on.  
  
Sirius paused with shock at first but quickly recovered and he put on his best show face. "Is there some thing I can help you with?" He smiled  
  
Beka had had enough of men like Sirius today; he was too much like Bobby the insincerity was dripping off him. "This is my engineer and you have placed a control collar on him he doesn't belong to you and I want him back!"  
  
"He was fair salvage." Sneered Sirius "And he's going no where!"  
  
"HEY!" Seamus shouted objecting to being called salvage and feeling a little braver standing behind Beka's blaster. Both Sirius and Beka told him to shut up.  
  
"Really I don't care what you Uber's think he's coming with me." It's then Beka decided to open fire.  
  
Sirius and the others ducked and rolled behind different parts of cargo that sat on the hanger deck. Beka pulled Harper behind Thelma's docking ramp. She ducked down rising up ever so often to fire at Sirius.  
  
"Harper we need to get out of here quickly, can you get the collar off?"  
  
"No, I've been trying for days!" his voice rose slightly in panic.  
  
Beka stuck her head out around the ramp again firing off a couple of shots before duck back under their minimal protection. Sirius was on the move they were running out of time. She grabbed Seamus by the shoulder and shook him lightly forcing him to focus on her. "It's okay, so you can't leave this ship." Beka paused in thought for a split second when an evil smiled crossed her face. " Remember how we practiced flying the Maru?"  
  
Harper nodded affirmatively.  
  
"Good, because you're going to fly this one."  
  
"WHAT! Are you nuts! Beka listen I fix them but …" Beka placed a hand over his mouth.  
  
"Listen there's no time to argue. You can't leave it so you're taking it with you. On the count of three I'm going out there. I'll cover you and you're fly this beast out of here. Got it!"  
  
Once again he nodded and tried to mumble through her fingers. She dropped her hand and quickly turned around as she started to move towards the Nietzscheins but he grabbed her arm and stopped her.  
  
"Thanks." He whispered.  
  
She looked back at him and smiled "Meet me at 'Inspiration drift' okay?" and with that she was gone.  
  
Harper paused for a second and watched the whirlwind of a woman lay down ground fire before he jumped up and ran up the ramp.  
  
He ran to the cockpit and hit the ramp locking mechanism as he ran by.  
  
He leapt into the pilot's seat and glanced down at the controls. He had worked on them … hell he had even rebuilt half of them this was no big deal he could do this. "Okay, okay this is good." He whispered.  
  
  
  
Blaster fire slammed against the ships doors. "NO Solicitors!" he yelled over his shoulder but it was doubtful that they heard.  
  
A movement caught his eye out the forward windows. It was the Eureka Maru taking off in the distance. She was safe and he let out a big breath he wasn't aware he had been holding.  
  
Suddenly things seemed possible. He turned the engines on and pulled back on the yoke. Thelma shuttered and lifted up off the Tarmac. He could see Sirius and the other Nietzscheins screaming up at him and firing their weapons. He smiled and turned on the loud speakers.  
  
"Jingle bells, Sirius smells, Tritan laid and egg.  
  
Thelma lost the Neits and the cute guy got away HEY!"  
  
His singing voice echoed through the loading docks and with a final loud "WHO HOO"  
  
Seamus Zelazny Harper pointed his ship towards the stars and disappeared.  
  
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TBC  
  
Does Harper tell Beka about the murders or not … stay tuned 


	11. chapter 11

Just a small bit for now but once again more soon … you guys are so nice with your reviews I feel honored thanks again.  
  
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Harper sat at the helm aboard the good ship Thelma. He had pulled his knees up to his chest in the pilot's chair resting both his chin and his arms on his knees. He was staring out into space contemplating his future. This is something he had done a lot in his short but interesting life but never before did he have so many options.  
  
He closed his eyes remembering those nights in his little room back on earth. His cousin Brendan was there. Brendan's sister had still been alive. Lotte, Harper smiled to himself… he hadn't thought of her in a while. She was older then Brendan and Brendan was older then Harper so she tended to think she was the boss. Especially after Harper's parents died. She got sick only months after they died.  
  
He remembered all the tricks Brendan and him used to pull on her. Having her there helped a little. When Brendan was busy with his girl friend or some of his other buddies Lotte always made sure he wasn't alone. But she got sick. Actually everyone got sick that winter. There was something wrong with the water and before anyone realized and before they could find a new source of water it was to late. People got sick and people died including Lotte.  
  
Harper shook himself a little. He wasn't on earth anymore. Yet, things were still messed up. Would he ever have a normal life? Friends, food, shelter maybe even a family… someday? It was all so unrealistic. Now with what happened at the bank… all those people dead because he was stupid. Harper closed his eyes in shame. What would his parents have thought of him now? Probably not very much. A normal life would always be a pipe dream for Seamus Zelazny Harper.  
  
So what now? Did he just take off with the ship? Try to find a better life somewhere where no one knew about the murders at the bank? Did he go back to earth and maybe sell the ship get some money for everyone? Or … he paused go back to Beka? He owed her big time. But what would she think of him and what happened at the bank? Did she even know? How would he tell her? It would be really nice not to be alone anymore. That was the one thought that really drove him back to her. He did feel like he owed her but he really was just tired of being alone. She couldn't mean the promise about never leaving him. She would leave him the moment she found out about the bank. But then if she did he could leave and for at least a little while he wouldn't have to be alone. Life had been good those months on the Maru. Almost like a normal life. A pipe dream come true.  
  
"This is a really dumb idea Harper." He whispered to himself as he grabbed the pilot controls and set in the coordinates to Inspiration drift.  
  
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TBC 


	12. chapter 12

Once again a big huge hug to all those who reviewed!! Here's the next part… hope it's okay…  
  
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Harper stood on what could be called the command deck of the Eureka Maru.  
  
Beka stood before him arms crossed tapping her foot.  
  
"What took you so long?"  
  
"I had some things to think over."  
  
Her eyes softened a bit. "I was worried?"  
  
Harper had to admit he was confused. "Why?"  
  
"I needed to some one to save me from my self and there you were. No one has ever come to my rescue before... Well At least not with some other motive." She paused for a moment. "I could ask you the same question you know?"  
  
"What?" Harper raised his eyebrow quirkily.  
  
"Why? Why did you jump on Bobby? He could have pounded you into mush."  
  
"Well, I'm pretty resourceful." Harper didn't like the mood it was too serious and it made him nervous "and I'm taller then I look!"  
  
Beka allowed a small smile. "Well let's try to forget everything, okay I'm sorry I left you alright?"  
  
"Yeah sure boss…Boss?" Beka turned away to go back to the helm when something in Harper's voice made her pause.  
  
"What?"  
  
"So did you umm…watch the news while I was gone?"  
  
Strange question she thought. "No, I didn't between Bobby and the flash I barley left the Maru and I certainly wasn't up to checking the broadcasts. Why?"  
  
"Well...some bad stuff happened."  
  
"Harper you were the prisoner of 4 Nietzscheins, what ever happened is history alright. It doesn't matter."  
  
"Yeah but…"  
  
"No buts, we both have pasts Harper, and I'm sick of over analyzing mine. How about you?"  
  
"Oh yeah you better believe it!" Harper smiled she didn't care…mind you she didn't know either and for now that's would be okay. "So what should we do with the ship?" Thelma was currently attached to the top of the Maru and they were towing it.  
  
"Well it's a big bull's eye on our butt, we should probably get ride of it."  
  
Harper nodded in agreement. "I'm just going to go check and see what we can salvage for the Maru first okay?"  
  
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Beka joined Harper on Thelma and they both started poking around. Harper immediately headed towards his old temporary home, the engine room while Beka headed towards the helm.  
  
As Harper made his way to the back of the ship he noticed something and paused. It was the crew quarters. He couldn't say what made him do it but he slowly pushed the door open and looked in.  
  
'Sirius and his buddies weren't the neatest Uber's' he thought to him self as various pieces of personal gear littered the floor. He glanced around, there didn't seem to be anything interesting but he entered the room anyway. He saw what looked like Sirius's knife on the floor near a pack and he bent down, picked it up and studied it for a moment.  
  
Maybe he was driven by some need to make sense of what happened. This group of Nietzscheins hand forced him to kill over a hundred beings. What kind of people did that? Deep down Nietzscheins were human. Humans were known to be a cruel race. Yet still he did not understand it. Maybe he would never make sense of what happened at the bank that day.  
  
"Harper?"  
  
He jumped guiltily. "Uh, yeah boss?"  
  
Beka entered the room "Find anything interesting?"  
  
Harper shrugged his shoulders. "Nah, not really."  
  
"Well I'm going to pull apart some of their communications system we could use the parts. Want to help me when you're done?"  
  
"Sure, be there in a few."  
  
Beka paused studying him for a moment but what ever she was thinking she let it drop. She turned and headed back towards the cockpit.  
  
Harper continued to study the knife for a moment trying to fight off the memories that threaten to over whelm him. Finally he stood stiffly and placed the knife in his belt. He took one final look around.  
  
'Wait! What was that?' He stepped towards a nearby bunk. He wasn't sure whose it was but it didn't matter. He reached under the bunk and pulled out a bag. No, it was two bags. The ones he had stole from the bank.  
  
"Crap!" He swore under his breath. He had just assumed when they landed that the Nietzscheins had hid them somewhere. He hadn't suspected that they were still on the ship. "Crap, crap, crap!" He swore again.  
  
Well he certainly couldn't leave them here. If Beka found them or who ever they sold the ship to found them… no, he better take them and hide them. He dumped the contents of one bag into the other and shoved the empty bag back under the bunk. As he slid the bag under the bed his hand nicked a piece of metal scratching his hand. "Ouch." He pulled back his hand quickly and sucked on the small trickle of blood on the back of his hand. He crouched down even further and looked under the bunk.  
  
There was a green metal box about the size of one foot squared.  
  
Harper reached in and carefully pulled it out.  
  
"Harper?" called Beka from the front of the ship.  
  
"Coming Boss, just a second!" he shouted back over his shoulder.  
  
It must have been Tritan's bunk as there was a small silver symbol painted on the box and Harper remembered seeing that symbol sewn on one of Tritan's Jackets. He took the knife from his belt and pried the box open.  
  
Inside were a bunch of little trinkets. Pictures of Tritan's family, a lock of someone's hair tied with a cord and a small book. Books were kind of rare; most stuff was on flexi's now so maybe it was worth some money. Harper pulled it from the box and as he did a piece of paper fell out and onto the floor.  
  
He looked at the book for a moment before reaching down for the paper. It was a book on the history of Tarn Vedra. Tritan knew a lot about Tarn Vedra. It was why they had stopped on that commerce planet, they wanted to find that Perseid that new about it. Harper pocketed the book and the knife and picked up the piece of paper. He unfolded the fragile paper carefully. What he saw or what he thought he saw almost made his heart stop beating. 'Nah, it couldn't be…" he thought to himself. It was a map to Tarn Vedra!  
  
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TBC of course! 


	13. chapter 13 back to the present

so much for faster huh...well if anyone is still interested here is the next part...  
  
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Back to the present  
  
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Harper hummed to him self as he pretended to work his way down to the panel where the credits were hidden. No one had been down the corridor in over an hour so with a final look over his shoulder he popped open the panel and reached up for the bag.  
  
"Hi Harper, what you doing?"  
  
Harper yelped with surprise and hit his head on the open panel cover. "Ow Trance!"  
  
"Sorry." She didn't sound it and his heart beat a thousand times faster then normal in his chest.  
  
"You shouldn't sneak up on people!" he grumbled and quickly pulled his hand from the conduit.  
  
"I said I was sorry, what are you doing do you need help?"  
  
"No, I'm fine. You can go away now!"  
  
"Okay fine but if you need me call me." She turned to walk away, but paused and turned back towards him. "Oh Harper I forgot, I was doing some cleaning the other day and I found some Vedran Credits are they yours?"  
  
Harper's heart stopped beating and he stared at her with an open mouth. This must have been the effect she was going for because she smiled slightly.  
  
He swallowed three times unsure where to even start his mind was reeling.  
  
"Did you tell anyone?" he finally managed to whisper  
  
She shook her head. "No, I haven't but I really need to know what you're up to, where did you get it from?"  
  
"Trance," he begged, "please don't make me tell you!"  
  
She looked into his eyes and saw his desperation and her resolve softened a bit. "Harper what could possibly be so bad you couldn't tell your best friend?"  
  
"Look, it's ancient history Trance! I mean you're always talking about probabilities right? Well if I tell you there isn't going to be much of a probability that you will speak to me again. And well, I was just getting used to the new you."  
  
Trance sat down on the floor next to him and took one of his hands in hers. "Seamus Harper I've seen one possible future with out you I can't imagine another."  
  
"So don't make me tell you then." He pleaded.  
  
"It's a lot of money and I've seen the dates, it could make all the difference in the world to Dylan."  
  
"He talked to the four legged blue meanie…"  
  
"The Vedran…"  
  
"Whatever, he knows Tarn Vedra is still out there."  
  
"Harper do you know the way to Tarn Vedra?" The new Trance was a lot more direct then the old one. He missed her suddenly.  
  
He looked at the floor quickly tears filled his eyes. "Yes," he whispered.  
  
She watched the tears roll down his face. "This is great news, why haven't you told us before? It would mean so much to the others, it could possibly mean the re-establishment of the New Commonwealth?"  
  
"Things are never that easy."  
  
She gripped his hand. "They seldom are but it would be a start if you could tell me why you've hidden this from us?" She paused and looked at him but he didn't answer. "Would it be easier if we talked to Beka?"  
  
"NO!" he shouted then lowered his voice his eyes quickly roaming up and down the corridor. "If anyone really new it would all far a part."  
  
"What would?"  
  
"Everything, my life, my friendships, Trance I don't want to wake up from my pipedream."  
  
She looked at him confused. "Okay fine I won't tell Beka but this is to important to just for get about." She placed her hand on his chin and forced him to meet her eyes. " If you promise to meet me on the observation deck to night and tell me everything I promise I won't hate you and I promise I won't tell any one."  
  
"I don't know, I've had this to my self so long… I don't know if I could tell it to you."  
  
"Just promise you'll meet me?" she smiled a small smile.  
  
He nodded. What else could he do? "Okay, I promise to meet you."  
  
She smiled a true smile and got to her feet she held his hand for a moment longer before letting go and wandering down the hall. Leaving Harper sitting on the corridor floor once again considering his options.  
  
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TBC 


	14. Chapter 14 Part Two...here we go again!

Thanks for sticking with me! Here's the next part…  
  
   
  
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 Pipe Dreams Part Two  
  
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Just after midnight earth standard time Harper wandered on to the observation deck. Trance sat stoically looking out to the stars. He stood there silently for a moment watching her and still debating whether he should be here or not.  
  
   
  
"I thought you might have decided not to come." She spoke first. He didn't think she had heard him come in.  
  
   
  
"I wasn't sure I would." He walked in slowly reluctantly and sat down on the bench beside her.  
  
"Seamus what happened to you that it's so hard to talk about?"  
  
"It's the proverbial long story."  
  
She placed a hand on his knee to comfort him. "Sooner or later everyone has to tell their story."  
  
Harper sighed stalling her wasn't working. Where should he start? He started telling her about his time with the Nietzscheins, he skipped over the gory parts. He never mentioned people had been killed at the bank robbery, only hurt and he never mentioned that Beka had left him behind. She seemed to understand but he was still worried about what would happen if she knew the whole truth. It took a better part of an hour to tell the story but in the end he got a hug and a smile. "See not so bad." She smiled again, "But what about Tarn Vedra?"  
  
"Trance it's late I'm tired."  
  
"You'll sleep better if you tell me."  
  
"You're relentless you know that." He had to smile  
  
"It's one of my more charming features." She smiled a small grin and shrugged her shoulders. For a moment, an instance even, Harper could see the old Trance, the one that had been his best friend.  
  
Harper let out a heavy sigh and began the story again.  
  
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It had been three weeks since Harper had found the map. He knew Beka was a salvage operator but he didn't know enough about he to gage how she would take a treasure hunt. He decided to try asking her some leading questions. So one morning as Beka sat at the helm and he was sipping his morning sparky he gave it a shot.  
  
"So Beka have you ever heard of Tarn Vedra?"  
  
"Of course why?" Sarcasm dripped from her voice. Okay so it was a stupid question of course she had heard of it.  
  
"Well do you think…I mean do you know of anyone who has ever been there?"  
  
"No, the Vedrans sealed it off long ago."  
  
"Umm well I heard of this Perseid that went there."  
  
"The Mad Perseid, I've heard of that story! Man, Would I like to get my hands on that diary!"  
  
"What diary?" asked Harper confused.  
  
"Well they said he found an alternate route to Tarn Vedra and that he wrote it all down in his diary before he died."  
  
"Ummm he drew a map to."  
  
Beka let go of the controls and quickly faced Harper. "What! What are you taking about? Is there a reason for this conversation?"  
  
Harper backed away a little. An automatic reaction he had developed due to the diversity he had faced on earth, he hadn't even realized he done it but Beka noticed. She got up more slowly from the slip chair. She tried again and met his eyes as she spoke.  
  
"Is there something you want to tell me?"  
  
"I have a map. I got it from the Nietzschein ship."  
  
Beka contained her anger but her voice was seething. "Harper we sold that ship two weeks ago when were you planning on telling me!"  
  
He tried to reply but she cut him off. The anger was starting to leak through. "What… were you just going to take off on me, I thought we were crew!"  
  
Harper looked at his feet guiltily. "I know, I just wasn't sure how you would take a treasure hunt…I wasn't going to take off Boss. I promise."  
  
He was almost pleading with her. Now Beka felt guilty. How could she accuse him of wanting to take off when that's exactly what she did? "Can I see this map?"  
  
"I'll go get it." He ran down the hallway towards crew quarters.  
  
Why was she so mad anyway? This kid was fresh off of earth, what did he know about slipstream routes? The map was probably a fake.  
  
Harper's heavy footsteps echoed through the Maru as he rushed back to Beka and quickly shoved the map in her hands. His eyes shone now like a kid at Christmas.  
  
"Open it!" he urged.  
  
Beka carefully opened the ancient paper and let out a low whistle. If it was a fake it was a damn good one. Her eyes scanned the paper it even had a small Perseid stamp in the bottom left corner.  
  
"Wow." She stated simply  
  
Harper was practically bouncing on the spot. "So do you want to give it a try?"  
  
She shrugged her shoulders. "Hell, why not we have enough credit from the sale of the ship to last us a while."  
  
Harper's smile nearly exploded from his face. Beka tried to rein him in a little. "We'll need to plan and we'll some more supplies and a bigger crew… are you sure you're up for this?"  
  
"Does a duck like water?"  
  
Beka looked confused, "I don't know?"  
  
Harper laughed. "That's mud foot for …Hell, yah and when we leaving!"  
  
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TBC  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
  


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry the chapters are so short but I only have time to spit out little bits at a time …I added more to this one  
  
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The Maru Landed on Eldarodo Drift. Beka stepped out onto the docking platform and took a deep breath and stretched. Harper stepped out from behind her, squinted against the bright florescent lights and sniffed the air. Beka frowned at him. "Harper give it a chance!" she chastised.  
  
Harper gave a small sneer. "All these drifts smell the same"  
  
"Yeah I know!" Beka took another happy deep breath.  
  
"And that doesn't bother you?"  
  
"What do you want it to smell like?" She placed her hand on her hips in defense.  
  
"I don't know," he shrugged his shoulders in defeat, "it just smells stale. I like planets better. So, Boss? How are we going to find the rest of our crew?" The talked as they started walking. "I doubt they have a recruitment centre."  
  
Beka smiled a sneaky little smile. "I think you'll like this one Harper…" she paused for effect. "We find the closest bar."  
  
"Hell yah!" Smiled Harper back.  
  
It didn't take them long before they were sitting in a dingy seedy little drinking establishment.  
  
Beka found a both in a quiet corner but not to far from the main action. Harper stood at the bar trying to explain to the bar tender what a beer was. Obviously the bartender wasn't familiar with earth beverages.  
  
She glanced around the room, there was the usually assortment of roughnecks one could expect to find in a port saloon. She wasn't sure she would find anyone in this lot but they had to start somewhere.  
  
Harper returned with a beverage of sort and sat down beside Bake with an unhappy grumble.  
  
"What kind of bartender doesn't know what beer is?"  
  
"What did you get?"  
  
"I don't know something pink."  
  
Beka tried to hide her smile behind her hand.  
  
"So…" Harper continued, "any good prospects?"  
  
"Nothing yet give it time."  
  
They sat there for about an hour before the decided to order a meal. Beka asked the waitress if she knew anybody looking for work. The waitress said she didn't but she would let them know. The meal was eaten and many more beverages consumed without a single lead. Beka nudged Harper who had had quite a few more drinks then her and was now sleeping on the table.  
  
"Wuzz?" mumbled against the table.  
  
"Harper wake up we're calling it a night."  
  
As she tried to rouse the drunken Harper she noticed some one staring at her. "Can I help you?"  
  
"I heard you were looking for crew."  
  
"Maybe? What's your name?" The voice stepped a little closer and Beka got a better look at the creature she was talking to. He had ash gray skin, he had no hair that Beka could see and he was very tall and gangly.  
  
"Hey it's Lurch!" shouted the very drunk Harper jovially. Beka sighed ignoring him.  
  
"The name's Vexpax."  
  
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The next day Harper was banging around the engine room and whining. Beka however did not feel sorry for him. She knew that he had the hangover from hell, heck she had had many of her own, but her philosophy was do the crime pay the fine. She wasn't about to use any of their med. supplies unless he really needed it. Harper how ever was grumpy and if he had a headache he wanted to make sure everyone else had one to.  
  
Beka was giving Vexpax the grand tour. She was trying to have a conversation with the quiet man and having to yell over Harper's noise wasn't making it and easier. It seems Vexpax was a jack of all trades. He was trained as a medic but also could service and the environmental and security officer. Of course Beka didn't trust him, she didn't trust anyone but he seemed like he would fit in all right. Vexpax even seemed to have a tolerance for Harper, one that Beka didn't have at the moment.  
  
"Harper!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs "If you don't quit it right now you won't want to know where you'll find your next sparky!"  
  
The banging stopped abruptly. Beka took a deep breath and was about to explain the rules to Vexpax when there was a final bang.  
  
"Sorry." Came the snotty reply from the engine room. Beka just snarled at the door.  
  
"You know Beka you'll have to learn to control that temper." The voice came from the doorway. Beka turned and squealed like a schoolgirl.  
  
"Rev!" she shouted as she wrapped her arms around the Magog. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Well," his voice grumbled pleasantly "I wasn't needed at the monastery as I thought so I decided to do some traveling, some ministry perhaps and working on a cargo ship seemed like an excellent opportunity. This, however, was most unexpected. The divine truly is mystifying."  
  
"You mean it Rev you'll be traveling with us?" Beka couldn't contain her happiness.  
  
"If you'll have me." Rev bowed his head.  
  
"Rev you're family you don't even have to ask. I just have one question… when can you start?"  
  
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TBC 


	16. Chapter 16

Sorry I know another short chapter…it's all I've had time for  
  
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A couple of weeks later  
  
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Harper was less then thrilled at Rev Bem's return. But he made Beka happy and Harper promised to do his best not to scream every time Rev entered the room. Vexpax was okay except for the fact that Beka suddenly decided that Harper was to skinny and that he needed vitamins. Vexpax either wanted to impress his new boss or simply liked to torture Harper he wasn't sure which but Vexpax had turned into the vitamin nazi.  
  
What was nice though is that the small crew had fallen into a routine. Harper really enjoyed it despite his complaining. It was nice to wake up in the morning and knowing you were with friends and that there was breakfast in the galley. It turned out Vexpax was also a cook.  
  
The crew had just started their day. Vexpax was making breakfast. Rev was in Morning Prayer's. Beka was sitting at the helm plotting the day's course and looking at Harper's map. Harper stood at her side drinking his morning Sparky. The flow of conversation was light and jovial.  
  
"Really Beka, you should see the size of the vitamins he tries to feed me. They're the size of Cali Melons."  
  
"You, and the Cali Melons again, do you have some weird addiction I need to know about?" A funny look came across his face and he cocked one eyebrow up. Beka raised her hand. "Hold it! I don't want to know." Her gaze returned back to the map.  
  
Harper laughed and took a sip of his Sparky. Things were going good there we're making a lot of progress with the map. Harper's face turned slowly into a frown, as he got lost in his thoughts. When things got good Harper got worried. What if Beka found out about the bank or the money? What if Sirius and his buddies were still after them? Nietzscheins were big on grudges. What if Rev Bem got really really hungry?  
  
"Seamus!"  
  
Harper blinked twice before he realized Beka was talking to him. "Umm, sorry Boss you were saying?"  
  
"Is something wrong?"  
  
"Nah, I'm good." Beka had already learnt that meant quite the opposite in regards to Harper. She glanced at him worriedly for a moment and then reached up to feel his forehead. Harper leaned away lightly brushing her hand away. "Back off, mother hen." He joked. "I'm fine I was just thinking."  
  
Beka half glared at him for a moment and turned back to the map. "What were you thinking about?"  
  
"Don't you think this is a little too easy?"  
  
"What do you mean? The translations on this map are nearly impossible we've had to turn back and retrace or steps three times!"  
  
"Yeah," Harper put his hands up in defense. "And sure you are brilliant and well frankly, I'm a super genius." Beka hid a smile behind her hand. " But…" continued Harper undaunted "people have been looking for this for a long time and never found it. How come it's so easy for us?"  
  
"Harper you're paranoid."  
  
"Sure, I know but it makes you think though doesn't it?"  
  
Beka shook her head. When Vexpax's voice came on over the intercom calling them for breakfast.  
  
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TBC  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
  


	17. Chapter 17

Angst angst and more angst!  
  
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Harper stopped and looked up at Trance. "I'm not telling you any more."  
  
"Harper what's wrong?" Her voice was full of concern.  
  
"I'm not going to tell you anymore… blackmail me, throw me out the airlock I don't care." Trance looked into Harper's eyes. She was the older one by far. His face still looked so young but his eyes had lived a thousand life times.  
  
"Is it really that awful?"  
  
He paused; he really was unsure how to answer the question so he asked one of his own. "Trance have you ever really loved something?"  
  
She gave him a funny look. "Of course."  
  
"I bet you have." He smiled "In fact I know you have, it's why you came back isn't it?"  
  
Unexpected tears sprung to her eyes and she gave a small nod. "In what ever future you lived in you lost something you loved." He watched her brush a tear away hurriedly. "I'm like you Trance I would do anything to save something I loved." Harper looked to the floor in and in a voice no louder then a whisper. "Now imagine… that every single thing you loved some how got destroyed… I'm not talking one big disaster. I mean slowly. One small thing happens and it leads to another, a slow erosion of your life. The pain becomes so constant you almost don't notice it. You can push it away … pretend almost that the world isn't crumbling like mud to dust. Then something will come along and it will be one of two things. Maybe it's a bad thing, something that will knock your breath away. But you can cope with that like everything else you've had to face, tuck it away, and add it to the list. The really bad thing is when something good happens."  
  
Harper took a deep breath and continued.  
  
"The good things are the worst of all because they remind you of the pain you had ignored for so long. Good things gave you hope, belief even, that maybe just maybe everything would turn out okay as long as you wanted it bad enough, loved it and held onto it hard enough, everything would be okay."  
  
Trance wrapped her arms around his body and leaned her forehead on his shoulder.  
  
"It could be okay." She whispered.  
  
Harper chocked trying to block the emotions that threatened to escape. "It's why I'm afraid all the time, you know…so paranoid. Because being here has given me hope. Trance, I love being here and I haven't loved anything for a very long time. So now you sit here and ask me to tell you what happened, I can't and I won't. This time when everything falls apart Seamus Zelazny Harper is going down swinging. I won't tell you because I can live with the pain for now but if I tell you it will all start again and everything I love will be gone and I just won't be able to pick myself up again."  
  
He stood and walked towards the door and she didn't stop him. He paused for a moment with out looking back, "I'm tired." He whispered and disappeared out in to the corridor.  
  
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tbc 


	18. Chapter 18

WOW!! Thanks for all the great comments guys you are all very sweet!!  
  
Raven & Lauriene & Bolo what can I say you guys are the best!  
  
Warning here for swearing and spoilers that go to the season 2 finale.  
  
  
  
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A few hours later Beka found him in one of the machine shops. The lights were dim and he was sitting with his back against the bulkhead. He held a piece of something he was working on his hand but his mind was far away. Beka watched him for a moment as he twirled what ever he was holding over and over again. She cleared her throat and stepped into the dark room.  
  
"Hey sport what's up?"  
  
Harper jumped a little and gave her a wry smile, embarrassed that he had been surprised. "Nothing just thinking."  
  
Beka slide down the bulkhead and sat beside him on the floor. "It's the middle of the night why aren't you sleeping?"  
  
He shrugged noncommittally.  
  
"Bad dreams?" she knew Harper had nightmares but she accounted them all to his life on earth but it was the memories of what had happened since he left earth that had been plaguing him lately.  
  
"Yeah a bit. He gave a small smile again. Beka knew Harper better then anyone else and she knew he often smiled to cover up the pain. "What's you're excuse?" he asked.  
  
"The same I guess… do you ever think about the time we tried to get to Tarn Vedra?"  
  
Harper's heat skipped a beat. "Which time?"  
  
"Before Andromeda."  
  
Harper practically squirmed. "Have you been talking to Trance?"  
  
"No why?" She asked curiously.  
  
"No reason." He took a deep breath. "What made you think of Tarn Vedra?"  
  
She shrugged her shoulders. "I was just thinking now that we have fifty worlds signed finding Tarn Vedra would slam the door on all the doubters of the new Commonwealth."  
  
"Beka there will always be someone who has doubts…I don't think Tarn Vedra would make a difference."  
  
"You're a pessimist Seamus." She joked but her smile quickly faded. "You're probably right for once. It sure would be nice though."  
  
She slowly stood up "well I better get some sleep." She looked at him once more with worried eyes. "You better get some to."  
  
"Yes boss." He replied once again with a smile. She mussed his hair as she stepped towards the door."  
  
"Night then."  
  
"Night."  
  
Harper watched her go. Sleep wasn't going to come soon. Trance was right, sooner or later he would have to tell her. The fear of her finding out was eating him alive. How could he tell her though?  
  
"It started so simply." He whispered. "Where did I go wrong?"  
  
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"SON OF A BITCH!!!!" screamed Harper as Beka tried to pin him to the wall.  
  
"Rev, Vex help!" yelled Beka.  
  
"No. Not the Magog! He'll smell the blood and lose it!"  
  
"Harper calm down."  
  
Harper had been working on one of the engines when the Maru encountered some unexpected asteroids.  
  
The sudden jolt caused Harper's nano welder to slip across his hand when it did he jumped back at the surprise burn and fell on to the sharpened pipe he had been trying to gerry-rig into a new coolant valve. The pipe had neatly sliced into his shoulder.  
  
"Aggh!" he yelled again in pain.  
  
Beka kept him forced up against the bulkhead trying to keep him from curling up around his wounds as she kept pressure on his shoulder. She wanted him talking. He was loosing blood fast and she didn't want him to pass out till Vexpax arrived with the med kit. His eyes were closing.  
  
"Harper!"  
  
"What." His voice snapped but he didn't open his eyes.  
  
"Look at me mister! What happened?" She shook him a little and he groaned.  
  
He eyes opened half way "I slipped … what happened to the Maru."  
  
"Asteroids, just as we were coming out of slipstream… VEX!!!" She screamed again over her shoulder.  
  
Vexpax arrived with Rev Bem close on his heels just when Harper's knees began to buckle.  
  
Vexpax quickly stepped in and scooped Harper off his feet and ran him down to the crew quarter's placing him on his own bed as Harper's was to hard to access and began attacking Harper's injuries.  
  
Beka paced worriedly around the crew quarters as Rev Bem said a quick prayer. After about twenty minutes Vexpax looked up from his work. "He's going to be okay as long as we can keep any infections at bay and as long as we can get him some blood. Captain your blood type is A- correct?"  
  
Beka nodded. "Good… come sit here I'll need your help."  
  
Beka sat down and Vexpax set up an IV. "Good, now I'll just need to mix up some new vitamins to helps fight the infection. Reverend? May I ask for your assistance?"  
  
Rev bowed and followed him from the room.  
  
Beka watched the blond boys chest rise and fall as her blood entered his system. After a few moments his eyes began to blink open.  
  
"Hey boss." He whispered.  
  
"Hey, yourself."  
  
Harper looked confused. "What happened?"  
  
"You said you fell."  
  
"Oh yeah I remember…"  
  
His eyes began to close once again. "Thanks."  
  
"No problem." She smiled softly and brushed an errant lock from his eyes.  
  
Maybe it was the loss of blood or the shock of the injury but Harper had a thought race through his head and it came out of his mouth before he could stop it. "You know you look a little like my mother… only you're younger of course and she has had blond hair."  
  
Beka was more then a little touched. "We'll I am no ones mother but you and I …we share the same blood now Seamus we're family."  
  
His eyes closed and she wasn't sure if he heard it but she meant it. This little stick thing of a human had stuck up for her and tried to save her from Bobby. He had forgiven her for abandoning him for a flash fix… he had shared the map with her when he could have easily ran off with it and saved it for him self. She had been so long since her father had died and her brother left… Bobby had been little solace. Finally for the first time in a long time she had hope all because of a little mudfoot. The universe sure had a sense of humour.  
  
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TBC … look no cliffhanger! 


	19. Chapter 19

A big huge hug to all that reviewed I must say the reviews have been overwhelming…you are all sweet for sticking with my drivel…  
  
Hurray I got the first part all beta read by {{{Harpergirl}}} love ya babe thanks!  
  
  
  
Lauriena, Raven, Bolo, Brit, Amelia, hebe, trekken46, chickinterrupted, fanficaddict, starfish, Danielle, FT, Mary Rose and everyone else!!! You rule!  
  
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Back to the present  
  
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Two days after his late night chat with Trance Harper had come to a decision. He would tell Beka what happened, after all that they had done together she deserved to know. If she kicked him off the ship… well he deserved it. She had said once that she would never leave him. Even years later he still didn't trust that promise… why he never could rationalize. Really, he wasn't a kid anymore; these people were his friends. In his mind he knew he should be over his distrust of people but his heart betrayed his mind. He would catch himself doing things unconsciously. His thoughts drifted back to the other day when Dylan had come to the machine shop to talk to him. Every time Dylan stepped towards him he had taken two steps back; he didn't mean too and he had chastised himself about it later. Dylan just wanted to see what he was working on. It was the little things like that that reminded the others that he was still a mudfoot even after all these years. Harper sighed he had to except that he was who he was. He was a man with a less then stellar past. Beka had once told him that they both had pasts and she didn't need to hear his unless he wanted to tell it, but now when all he wanted to do was forget he felt she needed to know. Heck after all they had been through she deserved to know. Now that the decision was made there was only one thing left to do…He headed down the hall towards Beka's quarters.  
  
"Come in!" shouted Beka as he chimed at her door.  
  
"Hey Boss it's me."  
  
Beka came out of the adjoining room carrying a sandwich. "Hey I was just about to have some supper you want some?"  
  
"Nah, thanks though, I don't think my stomach could take it right now."  
  
Worry instantly crossed her face. "What's wrong are you sick?" She reached for his forehead to feel for his temperature but he stepped away. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Beka why did you ask me about the time we tried to find Tarn Vedra?"  
  
Beka sighed heavily and sat in an over stuffed chair nearby. She looked sad and confused. "You know I don't remember much of what happened right?"  
  
Harper nodded silently  
  
"Well I don't know something I've seen recently got me thinking about it again." She paused for a moment she looked unsure of what to say. She took a deep breath, stood and walked over to a near by cabinet and pulled out a small brown disk it looked old. "Please tell me you can explain this?" Her eyes were pleading as she activated the disk.  
  
A little hologram about six inches high appeared. It was a communications disk. The hologram was a picture of Harper four nearly five years ago when he had first left earth. The disk also carried a message and the warning filled the silence that hung between the two friends.  
  
"Seamus Zelazny Harper wanted for prosecution for the mass murder at a regional bank on Calbidium Prime. The murder is believed to have been politically motivated."  
  
The hologram flashed again to a shot of Harper sitting on the floor of the bank surrounded by dead people. Harper turned white as the blood drained from his face.  
  
"This man is also wanted for the destruction of a slipstream portal in Webston district. The slipstream was the main source of commerce and trade for two nearby planets whose economy was destroyed as a result. Motives for this action are unknown. If you know of the whereabouts of this individual please contact your local authorities. A reward of one hundred thousand thrones has been offered for any tips leading to an arrest." The disk restarted its message but Beka turned it off.  
  
Harper couldn't meet her eyes but he heard it all in her voice as it quivered the questions. "Harper what really happened and why didn't you tell me?" 


	20. Chapter 20

Another short one gang sorry… thanks to all those who reviewed!!! You guys rule!!!  
  
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After all the years of thinking about it and the days leading up to his final decision he was speechless.  
  
He always assumed it would go badly but in every scenario that he ran through his head he was always the one that had initiated the conversation.  
  
"Beka I… I don't know what to say."  
  
"Why don't you start with the truth. Did you have anything to do with the massacre?"  
  
"Yes, but it's not as simple as that." Beka's eyes looked sad and he turned away from her and looked at the wall. "It was a long time ago, so much has changed since then. I didn't know that it would go the way that it did, but it's no excuse I knew there was a chance that that people would get hurt and that I was being lied to I just… I didn't have many options back then. I had no reason not to do what I did."  
  
Beka stepped up behind him placing her hand on his shoulder. He flinched slightly at her touch but did not pull away. She wrapped her arms around him from behind. "You have changed you know that. I believe you when you say you didn't know I'm just hurt you never told me, that you've been carrying all this around for so long. Why after all we've been through couldn't you trust me?" She pulled back slightly and turned him to face her.  
  
He turned towards her but still couldn't meet her eyes. "I do trust you Beka, I don't always believe the things you say." He smiled slightly as a small bit of normal Harper shown through. "But, I do trust you, you know you're probably the only person in the whole freakin' universe."  
  
"Then why?" She asked again.  
  
He sighed heavy and walked towards her couch and flopped in it heavily. Beka sat in the chair beside him.  
  
"Mostly, I didn't trust my self. Do you remember what happened when we went to look for Tarn Vedra?"  
  
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Harper slid down the ladder in the Maru's engineering bay and sprinted down the hallway towards the command area. He grabbed a pipe and swung on it to get around a corner quicker as he literally leapt into the cockpit area.  
  
"Mr. Harper the shoulder!" Chastised Vex without looking over his shoulder. "It will never heal if you continue to swing on it like on over grown TreeWee!."  
  
Harper had no idea what a TreeWee was so he ignored the comment. His shoulder was sore but the nanobots had done their job and it was almost completely healed thanks to Vex. Besides he was to excited to care about a little discomfort. "Beka are we there?" he was jumping unconsciously on the spot. VexPax was standing at the weapons station and Rev Bem was standing at navigation. Beka wiped her brow as she relaxed a little, the last slipstream had been tough. She turned back to smile at Harper.  
  
"Yeah, we're close but I think we'll leave the final three jumps till tomorrow."  
  
Harper's face fell and he quit bouncing.  
  
Beka chuckled. "Don't worry sport, we've been on this treasure hunt for six months one more night won't kill you."  
  
VexPax laughed a little to. "Yes, but if he keeps me awake one more night studying that map I might kill him."  
  
"Yeah well Vex." Chimed in Harper. "I might have kept you up once in a while but you're snoring has kept me awake for months!"  
  
Vex took a playful swing at Harper who ducked under it and headed back to engineering. Harper smiled to himself. Tomorrow would change his life… everything would be different and he couldn't wait!  
  
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Sorry it's late I got to go… TBC  
  
The ending is in site!!! 


	21. Chapter 21

Sorry I thought I would update this chapter to make it longer…so if you've read it please read it again …especially the end part… thank you  
  
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The night never seemed to end and when Beka walked on to the bridge that morning she found Harper leaning against one of the railings fast asleep. She smiled looking down at him. He was just a kid, yet probably the most capable individual she ever met. She pushed at him a little with her foot.  
  
"Rise and shine handsome."  
  
Harper blinked a couple of time then yawned loudly. "Hey boss, morning."  
  
"I hope you didn't sleep here."  
  
He shrugged his shoulders, "I couldn't sleep."  
  
"Well, you seemed to be doing a fine job of it. I need you alert, these next three jumps will be murder, if they are the right ones at all."  
  
"Don't worry Beka," smiled Harper with his most winning smile. "With us on their trail the Vedrans won't stand a chance… I bet they have a lot of stuff. I wonder if there will be anyone alive on the planet. I bet they have the best…"  
  
"Harper enough!" Beka laughed, "Lets get going…why don't you navigate."  
  
Harper ran over to the navigation station just as VexPax and Rev Bem entered the bridge.  
  
"I see we are not even going to wait for a decent breakfast." VexPax complained but the mood was light aboard the Eureka Maru. Everyone took a station and was ready when Beka said the words Harper had waited all night to hear.  
  
"Transiting to slipstream."  
  
The Maru bucked and weaved like a horse Harper had once saw in a flexi- book. But Beka's slightest touch tempered the beast and the Maru flipped and slid with ease. Harper was impressed but started to get worried when the slipstream didn't end.  
  
"Beka what's wrong should it be this long?"  
  
A grunt was her only reply as her focus was completely on the slipstream in front of her. The slipstream must have lasted fifteen minutes and when they emerged on the other side Beka was covered in a light sheen of sweat and was exhausted. "Wow." She whispered.  
  
"What the hell was that?" questioned Vex  
  
"The hand of the divine." Whispered Rev.  
  
The tense and reverent silence was broken by a sudden and very loud whoop. "That was freakin' amazing! We did it!!"  
  
Everyone's faces reflected Harper's excitement.  
  
"Harper grab me a drink and we'll tackle the next one, we'll show the Vedrans not to mess a Valentine and her crew."  
  
With in minutes Beka had finished her drink and was ready to tackle the next slipstream. Beka turned up the power to the engines when a warning light flashed on her counsel.  
  
"Harper?"  
  
"I'm on it!" And he dashed from the room towards engineering. After a few moments a voice sounded from the intercom. "We're good to go Boss gun it!"  
  
Beka aimed the Maru at the slipstream entrance and headed in.  
  
This one was much like the other with very sharp and sudden turns but Beka navigated it as if she was a part of the ship. The really strange and added unexpected component was that there seemed to be pieces of ships in the slipstream and she was forced to dodge them while staying on course.  
  
Vex let out a low whistle. "I hope you are a better pilot then these poor souls."  
  
No one answered but Rev Bem could be heard whispering a prayer.  
  
The Maru burst through the end of the slipstream just as Harper returned to the command centre.  
  
Beka Gasped as if she had been holding her breath for quite some time and turned in her chair to grin back at Harper.  
  
Harper didn't meet her gaze though as he glanced over her shoulder at out towards space…"Is that it? Is that Tarn Vedra?" His mouth hung slack with awe.  
  
A small blue and green planet floated before then. Earth may have been as beautiful at one time.  
  
"This isn't right." Commented Beka with a concerned face. "There is supposed to be another jump."  
  
"Maybe the maps wrong" commented VexPax  
  
"But it hasn't been so far," replied Rev Bem. "Only our interpretation has been wrong and we were able to correct it, there should be one more jump."  
  
"Maybe that's the trick?" whispered Harper.  
  
"I don't like this at all, Harper where's the next slipstream?" Beka commanded.  
  
He was about to answer when he saw something move out the front viewer. "Oh, oh this isn't good."  
  
Alarms started flashed on the Maru everywhere.  
  
"Vedran fighters on our port and aft." Shouted VexPax. "Look out Incoming!"  
  
The Maru rocked and groaned as she was bombarded with missile fire.  
  
"Harper!" screamed Beka "find us the next portal"  
  
"It's right behind that planet!" He shouted over the noise and had to duck as sparks flew from the panel next to him.  
  
"Beka, we need to move or the hull is going to Breech!" Vex commented worriedly.  
  
"I know, I know." Grunted Beka angrily and then she swore. She wasn't mad at VexPax only the situation. Beka pulled back on the Maru's piloting yoke. The ship groaned and moaned but bid her heading and flipped over before swerving to the right.  
  
Suddenly there was a loud explosion from the engineering bay.  
  
"Hull breech." Confirmed Rev Bem looking at the panel in front of him. "It's small though"  
  
"We need to fix it!" Harper's voice was getting panicky  
  
VexPax grabbed him by the shoulder and pointed him towards engineering. "Let's go, I'll help."  
  
Another crash pushed Harper and VexPax against the wall as they made their way towards the back of the ship.  
  
Once they arrived Harper swore as he braced himself against the sucking wind.  
  
"It's bad Vex we'll need to fix it from out side, If we go any closer we'll get sucked out or stuck." Harper had to shout over the howling noise to be heard.  
  
"Have you ever space walked before?" shouted VexPax  
  
Harper shook his head sheepishly. "Not much call for it on earth."  
  
"Right then I'll go."  
  
"No, it's okay Vex I'll go…how hard can it be." They sealed the door to the engineering bay.  
  
Vex turned to Harper. "One wrong move out there and you'll float off into space then no one will be able to repair the engine once the breech is fixed."  
  
Harper started to protest but Vex raised a long thin hand cutting Harper off. "While we are under attack some one with experience needs to be out there. You can stay here and talk me through it okay."  
  
Harper nodded wishing Vex wasn't right. "Vex it needs to be done right and quickly or the engine bay is going to blow out the side of the Maru, then there will be nothing to save."  
  
"Then help me get my suit on we need to move!"  
  
Harper helped Vex with his EVA suit and closed the air lock behind him as VexPax stepped out into the war zone.  
  
"Vex can you hear me?"  
  
"Loud and Clear, I'm almost there tell me what I need to do?"  
  
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TBC soon! 


	22. Chapter 22

Harper strained to see him out the airlock window but he couldn't see him. He did catch glimpse's of weapons fire and the sudden jolt of the Maru indicated that they had been hit again.  
  
"Vex?"  
  
"I'm okay for now…Okay I'm at the breech what now?"  
  
"Okay use the nano-welder. Make a weld around the entire exterior of the breech"  
  
"Mmmm" mumbled Vex as he worked.  
  
"When that's done use the expand-a-patch." Harper shifted nervously. "Hurry Vex."  
  
"Mr. Harper…" the pause in his voice made Harper heart skip a beat.  
  
"WHAT! What's wrong?"  
  
"I think I snagged my suit. There might be a leak…pssssssssssssssst." Suddenly VexPax's connection went dead.  
  
"VEX! VEEEEEEEEEEEX!!" Harper screamed and pounded on the airlock door. Quickly he tried to come to his senses and grabbed for an environmental suit.  
  
He was about to click his helmet on when Rev Bem appeared beside him and placed a hairy claw on his arm stopping his progress.  
  
"He's gone… we saw him… his body." Rev was unsure how to comfort the boy who still lived in fear of him and finally settled on what always comforted him. "He's with the Divine now."  
  
"No." moaned Harper his knees buckling and his hands flying to his face to cover his grief. "Not again… my fault again!"  
  
"Mr. Harper, it was a horrible accident it was no one's fault."  
  
Harper cupped his hands around the back of his neck and rocked back and forth on his heels.  
  
Rev was torn between and returning to Beka who need him to ward of the attackers. He reached forward and firmly grabbed Harper by the forearm. He yelped and tried to squirm away.  
  
"Leave me alone!"  
  
"Beka needs you up front now!" Rev propelled the angry unrational young man down the hallway towards the cockpit.  
  
The two reached the command centre just as there was a loud screech of metal and the Maru gave a death shudder. Rev's hands flew to his ears. Beka and Harper both turned white.  
  
"Harper?" screamed Beka. "Was it?"  
  
Harper nodded. "The engine's gone."  
  
An eerie silence filled the Maru as the ship became dead in space. Then the explosions started again.  
  
"We're being boarded!" shouted Rev.  
  
There was a final loud explosion and for a long time Harper remembered nothing.  
  
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There was a blur of white and there was noise. Harper tried to raise his hands to cover his face but he couldn't move. There was a voice. It hurt his ears.  
  
"No." he tried to say but it was barely a whisper.  
  
The voice again. "Is he awake?"  
  
Harper tried to tell the voice to be quiet but it was all too much and the light and the noise slid away.  
  
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It must be a horrible dream. He told him self he was going to wake up in his bunk. Vex would be cooking breakfast, Beka would be singing in the shower and Rev would be…No…Magog! Unable to face another nightmare Harper sat up with a sudden gasp. His arms jerked and pain shot through his body and he fell against the bed he was lying on.  
  
Slowly he became aware of his surroundings and he looked around. He was in a very white room. The walls were bare and there was nothing in the room except the bed and a small table with medical supplies. The room smelled of antiseptic and it made his nose itch. He tried to reach up to scratch his nose when he realized that his hands were in restraints.  
  
Harper started to panic. His whole body ached, he was strapped to a bed and he was alone. He tried to kick with his legs and flail his shoulders but the pain became too intense and it left him gasping.  
  
Just then the door to his room creaked open. Two people entered. Harper glared at them in defiance and hate. Both wore some kind of uniform with a white shirt over top.  
  
"It's good to see you're awake." Stated the man  
  
"How do you feel?" Asked the women as she checked his vitals on a monitor on the small table.  
  
Neither of them introduced them selves and Harper was not about to give out any information. So he decided to do what years on earth had taught him to do. He swore… a lot.  
  
Neither of them flinched at his verbal rampage.  
  
"I'm afraid that will get us nowhere Mr. Harper." Harper stopped swearing shocked that they new his name.  
  
"How do you…"  
  
"You're name? Well, the wanted Beacons all over this side of space were a dead give away."  
  
Harper hated this situation. It was like when he was on earth with Brendan these two were just like the Nietzscheans. They held all the cards and they knew it. "Where's Beka you freakin' Ubers!"  
  
"That all depends on if you give us what we want." Replied the women  
  
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TBC 


	23. Chapter 23

Sorry another short chapter but I didn't want to leave the cliffhanger too long… I wanted to get the next bit out because Raven wrote more chapters of her story for me so she wouldn't leave it in a cliffhanger. :D  
  
Yup, you guessed it! This is a guilt chapter LOL.  
  
I have finished the time line for this story now so I have it all completed in my head … and I can tell you this story will end eventually … as by now I'm sure your all wishing it would. heeheehee  
  
Thanks and hugs for all the reviews and for all those who have stuck with me through…eekk 23 chapters!  
  
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Harper's head fell back against his pillow in defeat, "I have nothing to give."  
  
The man stepped forward. "We have a lot of questions that need answers. We know you weren't working alone in the bank robbery. Who were you working for? Why steal Vedran currency only? Were you hoping to commit another attack? Only this time on Tarn Vedran it's self instead of one of it's allies? We, the members of Argosy, do not take kindly to terrorists!  
  
Harper lay there in stunned silence for a moment when the fog slowly cleared and he started to understand.  
  
"You're High Guard? I thought you guys were all dead. Is this Tarn Vedra?"  
  
"You will answer our questions Mr. Harper."  
  
"Screw you Uber's! I want to see Beka before I answer any questions."  
  
"That won't be possible." Replied the women. Harper couldn't read them they were like androids… hell androids were more expressive. Harper's mind though automatically leapt a head to the worst possible scenario.  
  
"Is she dead?" He whispered.  
  
Neither the man nor the women would answer the question.  
  
Grief of the unknown flooded his system and his head ached. He closed his eyes against the pain.  
  
"Who do you work for? Was that woman the ringleader?" The man repeated the questions.  
  
Harper shook his head. He had noticed the past tense the man had used when asking about Beka. "It wasn't her, she doesn't know. I was working for a Nietzschein named Sirius."  
  
The woman grabbed the man's arm and they stepped away for a few moments to discuss the revelation in hushed tones.  
  
Harper's mind floated back to memories of Beka and Vexpax. The thoughts hurt and he felt an ache in his chest. He took a deep breath and controlled his thoughts. He wouldn't think of them any more. His time with them was just a dream, a moment of his life. It hadn't been real. They weren't important. He tried to convince himself of the lies he was telling. He had lost too many people and he was eager to accept the lies. His minded floated back to his parents but he wouldn't even allow his mind to pause on that. Think of 'black' he told himself. Black. Warm encompassing darkness.  
  
When his interrogators returned he had his emotions under control. He felt empty, drained and removed. Nothing mattered. He answered all their questions the best he could. Not caring if they believed him or not. They gave him very little information in return. Yes, they were high guard, this was Tarn Vedra and he was in a lot of trouble.  
  
They eventually told him that Beka was dead and they had just used her as a threat to get to the truth. By then his heart had turned to stone and it didn't matter. He felt nothing.  
  
After about an hour they left him alone and he slept.  
  
  
  
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Time passed … maybe a week. Harper never saw his two interrogators again. Only a doctor and nurse checked up on him. Harper had broken his leg; three ribs were cracked and he had had a concussion. To top it all of he had torn the ligaments in his shoulder, the one that he had hurt in engineering. Vex was right he should have been more careful.  
  
Once the nanobots had repaired his broken bones his restraints had been removed. He was encouraged to walk around his little room to help with the healing. He still limped when he walked and his side felt stiff but it was good to be out of bed. The ligaments how ever were not healing as quickly so he avoided using that arm. The doctor was not happy about Harper's refusal to use his arm but like with everything Harper was beyond caring.  
  
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TBC 


	24. Chapter 24 Harper's plan and the Big Sec...

Well this beastly thing has hit 45 pages… at what point did this blasted thing turn into a book!! LOL  
  
Once again I can't say enough about you guys you've really given me the motivation to keep going. You have all been so sweet and overwhelmingly friendly.  
  
I managed to give you a bigger chapter this time I hope it makes up for all the smaller ones!  
  
**Small warning for violence and a slightly gruesome scene. ***  
  
Hope you enjoy it.  
  
~ Your friendly neighborhood parisindy  
  
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Another two weeks went by before someone new came to see him and frankly he was glad he was quite sick of the medical staff and he was quite sure they were sick of him. The doctor had grown frustrated with Harper's stubbornness and his refusal to use his injured arm. He did try to use his arm once or twice but it hurt like the blazes. Mostly though he didn't use it because they wanted him to. His own little act of rebellion, it was all he had.  
  
That was before Lieutenant McBride came and then even that small bit of rebellion seemed unimportant..  
  
Harper disliked him immediately. He came in wearing a very crisp and proper High Guard uniform and carrying a clipboard. He read his clipboard for a good five minutes before even acknowledging Harper.  
  
Harper sat on his bed and glared at him. Finally the man cleared his throat and introduced himself.  
  
"I'm Lieutenant McBride I will be your representative."  
  
"My what?"  
  
"Your representative." He sniffed once and looked at Harper like he was an idiot.  
  
"Represent me at what?"  
  
"Your arraignment of course."  
  
Harper felt stunned he hadn't expected that. "I'm going on trial?"  
  
"Yes…ummm …Mr. Harper" McBride consulted his clipboard for Harper's name again.  
  
"Well I thought you guys pretty much thought I was guilty and that was it."  
  
"The High Guards are a diplomatic society, everyone receives a trial before conviction." Harper noticed that he didn't say that he thought Harper was innocent. The man continued, "The doctor mentioned you haven't been co- operating with his treatments."  
  
Harper swore a couple of times.  
  
The lawyer didn't even blink. "Being uncooperative will go on your record Mr. Harper I must say it doesn't look good."  
  
"I don't give a crap what goes on my record."  
  
"Are you confessing to the murder of 103 civilian allies?"  
  
Harper scowled and said nothing. "Listen I went over this with your two buddies when I first got here… I didn't kill them on purpose."  
  
"Do you think your intent will make a difference?" He consulted his clipboard again. "It also says here you refuse to disclose the were abouts of one Sirius unknown last name. Your supposed employer."  
  
"I was his slave, I ran away, I DON'T KNOW!"  
  
"This attitude really won't help you at trial Mr. Harper." Sniffed McBride, Harper was beginning to wonder if he had allergies. "Your hearing will be in 3 days you will be shipped out of the secure area back to the planet you saw when you were captured. That is where your fate will be decided." With that McBride sniffed once more and abruptly left Harper's room.  
  
Harper sat there for a moment contemplating the situation and one thought kept rolling through his brain. 'Like hell some else would decide his fate for him.' Then all the sadness he had been holding deep inside turned into something else. These people, the High Guard were suppose to be the good guys. Yet they had destroyed the Maru, VexPax died because of their attack, and … Beka. A sob of rage caught in his throat.  
  
He would never, NEVER trust anyone again.  
  
Harper started to plan.  
  
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Three days later Harper's hands were bound in front of him He winched slightly as the bindings closed on his injured arm and he was lead from his small white room. He had never been in the hall before but it was no different then any other institutional building. His body was tense as he counted the minutes until he could execute his plan but it momentarily slipped his mind as they led him outside.  
  
His mouth hung slack as his eyes darted around in awe. This was Tarn Vedra and now he understood why they fought so hard to protect it. As his guards led him to a near by shuttle Harper tried to soak it in. Giant trees stood on one side of his path. Hundreds of feet high and so round Harper could never reach his arms around them. Dappled sunlight filtered through the leaves and He could smell dew in the air. On the other side of the path was a large well-tended flower garden with many plants he had never seen before. They crossed a small wooden bridge and a small creek rippled underneath. Past the flower gardens was a view of blue and white mountains that obscured the horizon.  
  
One of the guards nudged him when he stopped overwhelmed by the beauty.  
  
"Is the whole planet like this?" Whispered Harper.  
  
"Pretty much but there are no trees on the beaches near the oceans. Come on let's move it."  
  
Harper had always wanted to see a real ocean. One that was unpolluted and un-patrolled. He had always wanted try swimming maybe even surfing. His thoughts raced to happier places as they loaded him on the transport. The door closed and he said good-bye to the most beautiful place he had ever seen. Ten minutes of beauty was all he had been allowed.  
  
The Highgaurd officers removed his bindings and placed him in a holding cell near the back of the ship. There was no view of Tarn Vedra and no possible way of knowing the way to and from the planet. After about an hour Harper felt the small ship vibrate and enter slipstream. Harper smiled to himself when he noted that they only went through one slipstream. The map had been right after all. It was getting close to the time where he needed to start his plan rolling. It was the smartest idea ever but hopefully it would work.  
  
He pulled up the sleeve of his injured arm and revealed a large white cloth bandage. Yesterday he had faked depression and cut his arm open. The doctor immediately applied nanobots to seal the wound and wrapped his arm in the bandage. Once the doctor had left and before the nanobots could seal the wound completely he inserted a small wire into his arm. He had managed to pull the wire from underneath his hospital bed's frame. He swore and tears streamed down his face and he inserted the wire under his tender skin. Never mind that it still hurt to move that arm at all. Once done the nanobots sealed the wound leaving the wire nearly undetectable. Part two of the plan was removing it. Harper had to admit this wasn't his favorite part of the plan.  
  
He licked his lips nervously. And started to pick at his nearly healed wound. He did his best to keep the bleeding minimal or else the guards would notice. He swore slightly and pulled out the wire. It was like have a really evil, really big sliver. Harper clenched his teeth in pain. Quickly he took a big breath and readjusted his bandage, palmed the wire and waited. It was another hour before the shuttle seem to slow and make it's decent.  
  
He could feel the shudder of the ship landing and once again he was on solid ground.  
  
The guards came to his small holding area. One put his bindings back on as the other watched. Harper noticed he kept his one hand on his force lance at all times. Harper sighed to him self. 'I guess you can never be too safe with someone who murdered a hundred and three people.'  
  
They started to lead him through the shipyards. The sky here was gray and it had none of the beauty of Tarn Vedra. As they walked Harper would pause every so often to pretend to gawk at one of the ships the guards pushed him on keeping him a head of them. Never once did they take notice of Harper's fidgeting fingers as he used the wire to pick the lock on his bindings. The one thing these high guards had forgotten is who Harper really was. He had spent many years on earth as a thief; it was a skill he had needed just to survive. And once again he was he needed those skills. He had the complicated computerized locking device open in under two minutes.  
  
Harper took a large silent breath and once again commented on a nearby ship. Both guards momentarily looked up. In that nano second Harper was gone running in amongst the crowd of people that hurried through the shipyard.  
  
The one guard swore as he spotted the back of Harper's shirt running through the crowd. He yelled a warning to the crowd and opened fire.  
  
Bolts of light whipped past Harper's head as he weaved through the screaming crowd. He turned sharply and did a long u-turn around a large Perseid ship.  
  
Then he saw something that took his breath away. He nearly stumbled in his effort to stop. Not fifty yards from him was Beka Valentine and the Eureka Maru.  
  
For the second time that day his mouth hung open in awe. She wasn't dead!  
  
She did look heavily sedated though and was being escorted unto her own ship by two seedy looking characters. 'What the hell is going on'? He wondered to him self.  
  
"Beka!!" He screamed. Either she was to far away or to drugged to hear him but she never even turned.  
  
He ran towards as fast as he could his mind blank with rage. They had lied and they had taken her from him. He wasn't going to let that happen again. As he ran he was spotted once again by his Highgaurd posse.  
  
He was with ten meters of Beka when a force lace bolt flew by his head close enough to burn his ear. Close enough to strike Beka full in the chest.  
  
Seeing her struck by weapons fire her escort quickly let go of her arms dropping her on the tarmac and dove behind the ramp leading up to the Maru for cover.  
  
"No!" he sobbed as he fell to his knees beside her fallen form. He grabbed her hand holding it tight and looking pleadingly into her eyes. They were glazed and empty.  
  
"Oh gawd, not again." He could hardly breath as the weight of the universe fell on to his shoulders. "Beka, don't leave me," he pleaded. "You said you would never leave me."  
  
Suddenly he felt her hand flex in his slightly. "Beka?" he pleaded once more.  
  
The Highguards that had been chasing him had found reinforcements and a large group of them began to converge on the scene.  
  
Harper panicked and with one final look into Beka's eyes he ran. He ran as fast as if the very gates of hell had been thrown open and every demon wanted his soul. Because as he ran from the best friend he ever had he ran from the demons that chased him with the knowledge that she might still be alive and that he had left her without a hope of survival.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Back to the present  
  
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Harper fell of the chair and onto his knees sobbing. That was his big secret. Bigger then Tarn Vedra, bigger then a bag of credits and over a hundred people dead. His greatest shame was leaving Beka to die to save himself and now she knew.  
  
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TBC 


	25. chapter 25 updated

This is the fic that never ends it just goes on and on my friends... RAVEN!!! Boy you're in big trouble now!!  
  
Lauriena, Raven, Bolo, fanficaddict, starfish, Spooky-Girl, Jaina22 and everyone else you guys rule thank you soooo much!  
  
This is just a snippet for now … sorry I've been busy … more soon.  
  
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On The Andromeda…  
  
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Beka looked down at Harper who sat sobbing on her rug. A vast wave of emotions flowed through her. She felt rage, sorrow, love, pain and all threatened to boil to the surface at once. She clasped her hands over her mouth in an attempt to keep her emotions bottled but she was losing the battle. She panicked and ran from the room. Not unlike what Harper had done fours years previously.  
  
Harper watched her go through blurry eyes. His heart had been broken so many times but as Beka ran from the room he held his hand over his chest and gasped with pain. He had changed a lot since those events, but his reactions were still the same. As he watched her go he thought of black. Warm, soothing encompassing blackness…  
  
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A couple of hours later Trance wandered over to Beka's quarters. She wanted to borrow one of Beka's shirts for a dinner the crew of the Andromeda was expected to attend on a near by planet the next evening.  
  
She paused even before she asked for entry sensing something was wrong. She noticed that Beka's door wasn't locked. This puzzled Trance, as Beka was always one for security and always locked her door.  
  
She walked into Beka quarters the lights were all on but the room was deathly silent.  
  
"Beka?" She whispered stepping into the main area. Then she gasped slightly as she saw Harper sitting on the floor by one of the chairs. He stared straight ahead with a strangely blank look on his face.  
  
"Harper?" she called but he didn't react. She ran to his side. He had no apparent wound but she could tell something was seriously wrong. "Harper?" she said again as she knelt in front of him. But hid did not twitch. No smile, no joke, he didn't even met her eyes but only stared directly ahead.  
  
Trance reached up and touched his cheek trying to direct his eyes to hers when she felt his cold skin. He was ice cold. "You must be in shock." She spoke to him in a quiet calm voice. "We need to get you to medical okay?" She stopped for a moment and still no reaction. She bit her lip with worry. Harper hated go to Med Dec and always complained. Instead of calling the droids to bring a stretcher she radioed Tyr. Maybe with his help they could walk him down to medical. She reached up and pulled the blanket from the chair and wrapped it around his shoulders trying to warm him up.  
  
He shivered slightly but that was the only reaction at all. "I guess you must have told Beka?" Spoke quietly and calmly hoping he might come back from where ever he went. "It didn't go well did it? Harper, talk to me okay? I'll go talk to her for you if you like. She is probably just surprised... She loves you a lot you know." She continued to whisper until Tyr arrived at the door.  
  
"What did he do this time." Asked Tyr. His voice was annoyed but his concern was evident.  
  
"I think he had an argument with Beka but they will have to tell us the details."  
  
"What could possibly have happened to cause this?"  
  
Trance just shrugged her shoulders innocently but neither of them believed she was innocent anymore.  
  
Tyr let it drop for now and reached for Harper. "Come on little man."  
  
They each grabbed an arm and raised the lost engineer to his feet. And pulled him a long the corridors. At one point Trance let go of his arm to hit a door release and he nearly sagged to the floor. He seemed so boneless so spiritless.  
  
Once Trance had him settled in medical Tyr went to find the answer to the mystery; he went to look for Beka.  
  
It didn't take him long to find her. She was in the first place he looked. Beka sat in the cockpit of the Eureka Maru. She had her knees pulled up and she was resting her chin on them. Tyr approached her silently. The two of them had developed something over the last couple months so it bothered him to see her now with nearly the same expression Harper wore when they took him medical. "Are you planning to go somewhere? I do believe that involves starting the ships engine's."  
  
"Tyr go away."  
  
"Why so you can brood, that hardly seems productive. What did you do to the little professor?"  
  
Finally a normal reaction, "What! What do you mean? I didn't do anything to him. Did he tell you I did?" She was angry. This Tyr could work with.  
  
Tyr shrugged noncommittal as he wandered to her side. "He's not saying much at all."  
  
"What do you mean?" Beka was angry, confused and hurt but she had cared for Harper to long to dismiss any concerns easily.  
  
"He's on Med Dec."  
  
Beka's pale face quickly grew paler. "What did that stupid idiot do now"? She whispered afraid that their conversation had had fatal results. Harper was prone to rash actions when in pain of any sort.  
  
"He's alive." Tyr studied her face with interest. "He's simply hiding with in himself. Not a fabulous survival tactic."  
  
Beka looked away from Tyr's analyzing eyes quickly rubbing a tear away. "He's always managed to survive one way or another though hasn't he?"  
  
"Indeed."  
  
Beka sighed and started babbling. "I really don't remember much of what happed you know. I remember Rev shouting that the Maru was being boarded and after that… just flashes and pain. I think I was drugged and then I was injured. I vaguely remember that Gerentex was there. It was the first time I saw him. At the time I didn't even know who he was but I learned that later. I don't remember Harper at all till we met up again months later."  
  
"What are you referring to?" asked Tyr confused.  
  
Beka quickly whipped a few more tears away. "I don't know if I should tell you but I really need to talk to someone…" Beka continued to recount the tale from her point of view of how she met Harper up until Harper's most recent confession.  
  
Tyr had to admit he was more then a little shocked and well … impressed he hadn't thought the little professor had it in him. "What bothers you now?" He questioned.  
  
"You know what has bothered him the most is that he left me when he wasn't sure I was dead. But, what bothers me is that all these years he hid it from me, he didn't trust me enough to tell me." Beka gasped out a small sob but tried to maintain control. "Him running away was completely understandable, he grew up on earth … it would be an instinct for him. He watched to many people he loved die. So he would have learned to run even when those around him weren't."  
  
Tyr nodded in understanding. "Sometimes it is necessary to survive."  
  
"But I thought we were friends… hell! Family! Why couldn't he tell me?"  
  
For that Tyr had no answer but as Beka fell against his shoulder sobbing he did not push her away and he wrapped his arms around her frail body.  
  
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On Med Dec  
  
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Dylan and Trance stood over Harper. Trance had made him comfortable and warm. She also had applied so Intervenes packs to keep him hydrated. Due to the fact that all he drank was Sparkies and alcohol he was usually a little dehydrated anyway so the Intervenes certainly wouldn't hurt but other then that there wasn't much she could do.  
  
"What's wrong with him?" questioned Dylan.  
  
Trance shrugged her shoulders noncommittally. "I think he's tried to deal with some of his past but he couldn't deal with it so he's hiding."  
  
Dylan rubbed a hand over his face. "Damn! I knew there was some chance of this. I just didn't know when it would come. Beka always said he had a lot of bad memories. This is just bad timing with that dinner we have tonight."  
  
"I gave him something to help him sleep he shouldn't be awake till morning, still… someone should be here with him."  
  
Dylan nodded "Well, I would like you there if possible Trance."  
  
"Beka could stay with him she knows more about what he's going through then anyone."  
  
"Damn, I really need you all down there but I guess it's best if she stays. Rommie?"  
  
"Yes Dylan." Rommie the hologram appeared quickly. She had been monitoring the situation and was worried about Harper. Her AI was planet-side helping with preparations. It was a good thing she wasn't here anyway she had been to well, too emotional lately anyway.  
  
"Please tell Beka I need to talk to her."  
  
"Right away." And she disappeared again.  
  
Dylan looked again to the young man asleep on the bed in front of him. An obvious concern for him covered his face which Trance found touching. She reached forward and lightly placed her hand on his forearm. "He'll be okay he just needs some time."  
  
Dylan nodded "I just hope he realizes how much we need him."  
  
"I don't think he does." She whispered "But he will."  
  
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TBC 


	26. chapter 26

Okay so I also updated chapter 25 so please check to make sure you didn't miss anything… enjoy  
  
sorry it's a short one…  
  
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Harper was lost in his own memories. He remembered running from Beka. Blindly with out thought, he dodged through the late afternoon crowd. The Highgaurd relics that chased were only seconds behind him.  
  
Then inexplicitly there was an explosion, a very large one. Debris littered the ground the buildings around him shook. Dust filled the air and Harper started to wheeze and cough. Wiping the dust from his eyes he suddenly realized he was kneeling on the ground. He knees and palms were burning. He must have fallen… his heart beat a punk rock rhythm. 'I need to move.' He told his weary body as he tried to get it functioning once again.  
  
Then he heard the magic words that never failed to set him moving. Some one in the crowd yelled "Magog!" Then he heard more shrieking as the crowd started to panic. The Highgaurd that chased him quickly forgot him as hundreds of furry bodies invaded the town. The men that had guarded him on the flight from Tran Vedra were two of the first to fall.  
  
Harper ran even when his body thought it was finished. "Not again." He sobbed as memories of his cousins, his aunts, his uncles on earth flooded his mind. Making the realty he was drowning in even more severe.  
  
  
  
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Ten days after the Magog massacre  
  
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Harper had lived through yet another Magog raid. He had been scratched up a bit but he wasn't infested. Over three quarters of the planets population was either killed of infested. Infested was as good as dead for statistics and for facing up to the inevitable. Harper wandered through the devastated town scrounging for food and a new shirt when he found himself back in the shipyards. A small ray of hope shot through his mind. Maybe the Maru was still here. Surely Beka would be dead but his clothes were there, food, blankets! He nearly ran to where he had last saw the ship that once had been his home. The Maru was missing. 'Maybe' he thought 'I'm wrong, maybe it was closer to the west side?" Harper looked for over two hours draining what little energy he had left. Finally his legs buckled and his unused arm throbbed as he sat in the middle of the Tarmac utterly defeated.  
  
"Someone must have stolen it." He whispered. But who? Beka had so many securities and firewalls; no one could unlock them but her. Finally he lay down. Resting his forehead on the warm cement and he cried.  
  
He cried for Beka and because he left her. He cried for the Maru and because he had been happy for a while. He cried for VexPax who thought Harper was too important to go out side. He cried because the blood sucking Magog existed in his universe. He cried for all the awful things that he had done. He cried because the universe was inherently unfair.  
  
He cried because he was lost and alone.  
  
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Present time on the Andromeda medical deck.  
  
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Beka stood in the doorway looking over to where Harper lay. He stared straight foreword. He didn't move. He barley blinked, he barley breathed. Beka found it unnerving. Dylan wanted her to stay behind to watch him but Beka was more then convinced Trance had some how arranged it. Finally she took a deep breath and entered the room.  
  
"Rommie, privacy please."  
  
"Engaged." Confirmed the urethral voice.  
  
Beka felt exhausted, like she had been hit by an over sized transport. Of all the things that could have happened she hadn't seen this one coming. Harper had been the king of loyal.  
  
She placed her hand on his forehead. He felt warm alive but he certainly didn't look it.  
  
"Harper what happened to us?" He didn't respond.  
  
She turned and pulled up a nearby chair. She held his hand lightly. "It's okay I'll wait." She told him. She would keep her promise. "I won't leave you."  
  
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TBC 


	27. Chapter 27

Thanks a million every one who has read this silly story of mine…and hugs to all that reviewed we really are nearing the end now….  
  
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Harper blinked once then twice and looked towards his hand. His eyes followed the hand up the arm to Beka's face. She stared back at him expectantly.  
  
He opened his mouth but he could think of absolutely nothing to say… what could he say?  
  
"Morning Sport." She whispered not unkindly.  
  
"Beka…"  
  
"It's okay." She cut him off. "I won't leave you."  
  
Pain and a torrent of pain crossed his face. "Why?" He choked on the words.  
  
"I made a promise."  
  
"I absolve you of it. I no longer hold you accountable."  
  
"What the Hell are you talking about." Beka voice rose with anger and Harper shrank back in his bed. Seeing his fear and worried that he might turn himself off again. She tried again. "Harper, that's not the only reason."  
  
"But it's the main one right." Snarled Harper more then a little bitter.  
  
Beka's anger threatened to bubble over once again. "Seamus Harper for the genius you proclaim your self to be you sure are an idiot!"  
  
"Get out!" shouted Harper. "Just leave already! I want you to!"  
  
She looked at him shocked and studied him for a moment... Maybe he didn't know. She had never actually said it, her family never had. When she took Harper on and well practically adopted him, she just assumed he knew. In her own way she had kept a secret from him. One that she didn't even know she had.  
  
"Harper I don't leave because we are family and I love you."  
  
Harper, who had sat up in his bed when the argument had first started, looked back in shock. "You don't mean it."  
  
She stepped forward and grabbed her engineer by the shoulders, looked him directly in the eye then pulled him forward into her arms. "Of course I mean it you idiot! It doesn't matter what happened we both have made a lot of mistakes. All that matters is that we do the best we can now."  
  
It's then that Harper started to hug back.  
  
"Family, huh?" Harper finally asked after they had separated. He had a sly look on his face.  
  
Beka smiled back at him. "Through thick and thin."  
  
Slowly it dawned on him that maybe he wasn't alone. Maybe his pipedream had really come true. Harper's head felt a little light and for a moment he felt dizzy as all the baggage he had carried fell away. Then one more thought concerned him. "We'll have to tell Dylan."  
  
Beka nodded. "Okay but we'll do it together."  
  
"Plus I have a couple of questions about what happened."  
  
"Me to, but we'll sort it all out."  
  
Harper cast his eyes to the floor. "Beka?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm sorry I left you and I'm sorry I didn't tell you."  
  
Beka reached for his chin forcing him to look up. A small tear trickled down his cheek. Beka's own eyes flooded the moment she saw his. Once again she pulled him in to her embrace. "You are an idiot but I love you any way."  
  
Harper laughed against her shoulder. "I love ya to boss."  
  
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To Be Concluded 


	28. chapter 28 the conclusion

Well this is it folks! A big huge thank you for all of you who stuck with me through all this… your words were inspiring… I appreciate it more then I can say…HarperGirl Beta read the entire thing for me so if you see her give her a hug…56pages!!!  
  
Thank you guys I mean it. Well here it is… hope you like it…  
  
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Back to the past  
  
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Beka woke with a pounding headache. She tried to move, but her upper body was stiff and seemed to be wrapped in heavy bandages.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" she groaned, slowly raising her hand to protect her eyes from the harsh light.  
  
"Thank the divine you're awake."  
  
"Rev? Is that you?"  
  
"Calm yourself. It is only I." She felt his furry hand clasp her free hand.  
  
"I'm…what happened?"  
  
"Don't you remember?"  
  
Beka tried to shake her head but the pain forced her to reply verbally. "Not really…we were slipstreaming then the Maru was attacked." Sudden realization struck her. "Oh gawd! Something fell on Harper! Where's Harper?"  
  
"Beka, listen to me," Rev forced his panicked captain to focus on him. "He's missing…We were attacked about a month ago. Don't you remember anything since then?" He couldn't hide his concern.  
  
"A month! No, everything is a blur…what happened? Where are we?"  
  
"We were attacked, as you seem to remember, and then boarded by what looked like High Guard soldiers, which I find very confusing. I haven't even heard of them in a long time. In fact, I didn't think they existed anymore. Well, when they boarded there were a lot of explosions, and I was completely cut off from you and Mr. Harper. There was nothing I could do for you except escape and try to watch where they took you so I could free you later. I managed to make it to an escape pod. Unfortunately the pod was hit upon my descent to the planet and crashed. I barley escaped with my life. The Divine was truly watching over me that day. I searched for you for weeks with no sign of you. I finally found where they might be you. It was a facility of some sort. I prayed that you were alive. I never saw you but I watched them bring in the Eureka Maru and deduced that you would be there as well. I watched and I waited."  
  
He paused, worried about her health, but Beka encouraged him to continue. "Then there was this strange little man with a pointing nose and long stringy hair—a Nightsider, I believe. He had three large men with him and kept surveying the Maru like he was looking to buy it. Then those men came and did some repairs. I was worried that they might be trying to take it away and I still wasn't sure where you were so… I built something to try to dissuade them…just as a deterrent, of course…"  
  
She caught on. "You built a bomb!" Beka was shocked. The Wayist priest was always lecturing on the ills of weaponry.  
  
"A small one, and I wasn't planning to ignite it near anyone. I just wanted to use it as… a diversion."  
  
Beka smiled weakly. "Harper would be proud."  
  
Rev Bem gave a small bow and continued his story. "I was just setting the bomb in place when I saw them loading the Maru with supplies… and then…" Rev frowned. "I am not proud of what I did next."  
  
Beka sat up slightly in her bed, intent on his words.  
  
"I heard ships landing…many ships landed through out the day but I knew these ones were different right away. They weren't landing on the space dock but in the field just out side of town. I recognized the sound of the ships and later the smells and the voices."  
  
"Magog?" whispered Beka.  
  
Rev nodded, his voice cracking as he remembered the attack. "I panicked. I used the bomb, not to help but to destroy, and I killed my own kind…I killed…" His voice died off for a second, the pain of the memory evident on his face. "In the end it didn't help anyway. The Magog invaded the town, maiming and destroying. I was so distracted by their fervor, I…I wanted to join them. I nearly forgot you. "  
  
Beka reached out and touched his furry arm in an attempt to comfort him. "But you didn't."  
  
He drew a little strength from that. "No, I didn't, but my distraction nearly cost you your life… when I found you were wounded—nearly dead."  
  
"How did you get us off the planet?" She was growing tired but she needed to know.  
  
"We can talk again later…"  
  
"No, Rev…tell me please… I'll sleep better once I know the whole story."  
  
"I don't know if I can give you that, but I'll give you what I can." He paused to sit on the edge of her bed. "You were hurt but because of who I am I—we were left alone and I managed to get you aboard the ship. There I encountered some men they said that they worked for a Nightsider named Gerentex and that He had bought the Eureka Maru and its captain from a group of freedom fighters called 'Argosy Avenged.'  
  
"I've never heard of them."  
  
"Neither have I, but they must have something to do with the old Commonwealth because it would explain the uniforms I saw when we were first attacked."  
  
"Why they hell would this 'Argosy Avenged' attack us?"  
  
"We were looking for Tarn-Vedra."  
  
"But how would they know?"  
  
"What about the Nietzscheans that you stole the ship from? Harper was with them when they were making plans to find Tarn-Vedra themselves… they would know that he would eventually find the map."  
  
"Oh gawd, that never even occurred to me!"  
  
"I think they may have sold information to the 'Argosy Avenged.' They must have known we were coming."  
  
"I don't think so…"  
  
"Why?" Rev was surprised.  
  
"Well… I don't remember much and it sure didn't feel like a month had passed…" She paused her, forehead wrinkling as she strained to remember. "I remember getting injections, and people were talking and I remember words… someone said the 'Nietzscheans were killed for knowing too much.' It didn't make sense at the time. Like I said, it was all kind of blurry."  
  
"These 'High Guard' certainly don't act like the legend they have inspired."  
  
"Desperate times lead to desperate measures."  
  
Rev gave a small bow in agreement.  
  
"Rev…we need to find Harper. I promised I wouldn't leave him."  
  
"Beka, Magog raids are sudden, random, and violent. If he made it down to the planet at all I doubt he survived. I never saw any evidence of him even being on the planet. If we searched for him where would we start? We cannot return to the planet—it is in ruins! The people that have been infected will be…"  
  
He couldn't finish it, but Beka new what he meant. The people that had survived and been infested would be dead soon and a new wave of Magog would be born. "And if there are survivors they may still be looking for us… Rev, what should we do?"  
  
"When you two were separated before, where did you meet?"  
  
"El Dorado drift."  
  
"Then that's where we'll go and wait. I do need to tell you one more thing that I have so far neglected to tell you."  
  
Beka looked at him, concerned.  
  
"I made a deal for a freedom with this Nightsider named Gerentex."  
  
"What?! What kind of deal?"  
  
"They bought the ship for a salvage run but since I convinced them—quite forcefully—that they had no right or claim to this ship, they said that we owed them the money back. So I agreed that after we had fully recovered from our ordeal that would we would help them in way of retribution."  
  
Beka groaned. "Rev, what did you promise?"  
  
"Really, it's nothing. They found this ship called the Andromeda and they want us to help with the salvage."  
  
Beka sighed and a small smile flittered across her face. "Remind me to never let a Magog handle negotiations."  
  
Rev Bem chuckled and left her to sleep.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Present time on the observation deck of the Andromeda  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The group had returned from a successful dinner and Dylan was happy to report that yet another world had signed the Commonwealth charter. He was also happy to see his engineer up and about as both Beka and Harper met them upon their return.  
  
Beka had requested they all meet on the observation deck. They had something to tell him. Dylan looked puzzled but agreed and once everyone gathered she and Harper recounted their story.  
  
Harper still had trouble with the details, so Beka helped him where she could. She sat by his side and squeezed his arm with encouragement whenever he faltered. When it was her turn she spoke slowly and deliberately, trying to leave nothing out, though her memories were sketchy.  
  
The group sat in shock when the two had finished talking and Beka glanced around the room. Tyr looked surprised and little impressed. Trance looked like she had just finished reading a flexi soap opera and was hungry for more. Rommie couldn't keep her eyes off Harper, who continued to stare stoically at the floor, like at any moment he'd burst into tears.  
  
Dylan's face wore a frown, not of anger but one that showed that he was lost in thought. The unasked question of 'what now?' hung silently in the air.  
  
"I have a couple of questions." As everyone gave him their attention he looked towards Beka and Harper. "How did you two get back together?"  
  
"Ummm…well," Harper started, "it took me a while, but I managed to, er, appropriate one of the ships that was no longer being used in the shipyard. I flew to El Dorado drift. I was hoping to find some work, maybe move on with my life the best I could and I literally bumped into Beka one day in the market. She was looking for crew. Well, first she jumped around and screamed a lot."  
  
"I was happy you were alive, you goof!"  
  
"She said she didn't remember much and was worried about me," Harper's voice cracked a little but Beka squeezed his arm and he continued. "I was glad she didn't remember me leaving her so I pretended it didn't happen. I found out later the Rev had saved her. It was then I started to trust him. I was so grateful…the purple one being there was an unexpected bonus."  
  
Beka smiled. "I had forgotten. Trance found out I was looking for crew, and she joined us before we found you."  
  
Trance also smiled, just happy to be a part of the story.  
  
"What happened to the money during all this?" asked Dylan. He wasn't about to let any detail go unexplained.  
  
"Harper hid it really well."  
  
"Yeah, those Argosy guys ripped the ship apart and they never found it." There was pride in Harper's voice. "I took the stuffing out of my pillow and put the thrones inside… I guess it was just a little too obvious for them."  
  
Tyr snorted and hid a smile behind his hand.  
  
"Do you and Beka still know the route that leads to Tarn-Vedra?" asked Dylan.  
  
"No, it was the weirdest thing," answered Beka. "A couple of weeks after there was all these news broadcasts. It seems the 'Argosy Avengers' that survived somehow managed to acquire some Nova Bombs. They blew up half their system, including all known slipstream routes that led back to that planet."  
  
"What happened to the map?"  
  
Harper shrugged. "They must have taken it. I never saw it again and Rev said it wasn't on the Maru when he reclaimed it."  
  
Dylan shook his head. "That's quite a story. And what are your plans now Mr. Harper?"  
  
"I don't know," mumbled Harper. "I always thought that some day I might give the money back to the people we got it from…I know it could never fix what happened but I don't know what else to do."  
  
"It's a start," agreed Dylan  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Three weeks later  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Harper and Beka stood on the lawn out side of where the bank once stood. It had been torn down and a memorial had been built for all that had died there.  
  
Harper looked sadly at the names that were listed on a large stone wall.  
  
Dylan wasn't happy with all that had happened, but in the end he spoke with them alone. He told them about how hard it had been for him to carry on after he woke up knowing that everyone and everything he had ever loved was dead. But, for the good or bad, he had to leave it behind; the past was the past and he had to live for himself and for the people that were around him today. He said he had gotten to know them over the last few years, and that he knew who they were now. Who they were then wasn't important anymore. Beka and Harper had been "forged by fire," he said, and it had made them strong. He was proud to have them on his crew.  
  
So after Beka and Harper returned the money anonymously and as Dylan talked with the planets governor about what really happened and thus clearing Harper's name, the Maru's captain and her engineer tried to say good-bye to their past.  
  
Trance had sent some flowers along and Beka laid them on the ground beside the wall.  
  
"Well, sport?" she asked as she stepped to Harper's side. "Have you done what you needed to?"  
  
"I guess." He shrugged. "It's...just… I'm not sure it's enough…giving the money back, I mean… I wish I could offer more."  
  
"You didn't kill those people, Seamus."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Remember them, and live your life the best you can…it's all you can do."  
  
"You know what I remember most?"  
  
Beka glanced at him and he met her eyes.  
  
"I remember you kept your promise you never left me. I'm not alone any more. My pipedream came true."  
  
Beka smiled and pulled him in to a rough hug.  
  
After a moment they pulled apart and started to walk back towards the main part of the city.  
  
"Hungry?" asked Harper.  
  
"Famished."  
  
"Great! I'm buying." Harper reached into his pocket and pulled out a brightly coloured credit chip.  
  
Beka was shocked. "Harper, that isn't what I think it is!"  
  
"Beka, I just gave away approximately two million thrones! We should at least get a free meal!"  
  
Beka laughed. "Seamus Harper, you're incorrigible."  
  
"And starving. Let's go."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The end 


End file.
